


Vizzini's Rule

by buttononthetop



Series: Canon-Verse [1]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Gap Filler, Ianto's pov - Freeform, M/M, canon-verse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-03-08 23:25:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 63,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3227438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buttononthetop/pseuds/buttononthetop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Ianto Jones decides to go back to Torchwood to save the girl he loves...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One: Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule
> 
> Rating: NC-17 Overall 
> 
> Spoilers: Torchwood Season One ALL episodes plus Season Two episodes Adrift (2x11) and Fragments (2x12) only. (Also possible spoliers for Doctor Who Seasons One thru Three.)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter One: Prologue**

When a job went wrong, go back to the beginning. 

Good advice, Ianto Jones had always thought. And no job had ever gone as wrong as completely and as spectacularly as Torchwood. How many last days at a job were filled with destruction, tears and blood? _But how to go back to the beginning?_ , he had wondered. Torchwood was gone, burned, might as well salt the earth and walk away. 

But Ianto hadn't been able to let go for the simplest and most dangerous of reasons – love. Lisa was still alive and he had sworn to save her. 

When Ianto finally got Lisa back to their flat after that long, terrifying day, he realised that she was a hairsbreadth away from death. Whatever the Cybermen had done to her, she couldn't survive long on her own. First and foremost, after he staunched the bleeding around her upgrades (he shuddered at the word) was her breathing. Ianto didn't know if it was something they had done to her lungs or simply the weight of the heavy metal breast plate that had been fused to her chest, but every breath was a struggle.

Not knowing where else to find what he needed to help her, Ianto returned to the burned out husk of Torchwood Tower. That first night he had crept back in and taken a ventilator, a monitor and all the painkillers he could lay his hands on. Once he had her stable and in as little pain as possible, Lisa started to tell him what they would need from the wreckage to keep her alive. At the end of it all, when the Cybermen had started upgrading whole bodies, they created the conversion units from any materials at hand, so large pieces of the equipment were still in the rubble of the Tower. Ignoring the nagging question of just **how** Lisa knew which pieces would work, Ianto just paid attention and took good notes.

Every night Ianto would skulk through Torchwood Tower, avoiding the police on the outside and the members of Torchwood Three and UNIT on the inside, searching for the pieces of conversion units that Lisa had described, bringing home whatever he could scavenge. Every day, he would work on the life support system, Lisa guiding him when she could stand to talk through the pain. Exhausted and miserable, but determined to keep Lisa alive and find some way to cure her, Ianto existed in a haze of agony day after day. Unable to eat or sleep, he worked himself to the brink of collapse.

One afternoon, he awoke to Lisa's frantic cries. He had passed out cold while working with the soldering iron and just about managed to set himself on fire. Cursing as he cut the power to the tool and stamped out the smouldering embers in the carpet, he turned on Lisa in a rage. 

"How could you let me fall asleep? Why didn't you wake me? Do you know what could have happened?" he yelled, stupid with fear for them both. He regretted his harsh words instantly as Lisa's brown eyes filled with tears and she stuttered apologies.

He stood for a moment, tears filling his own eyes, slumped in defeat. He crossed the room to Lisa and reached for her hand, pressing his lips to her palm. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he murmured over and over. Allowing himself a moment of weakness, he let the tears fall as he clutched her hand. "I can't do it, Lisa. I don't know what I'm doing. We don't have enough power here, the right equipment, I don't know what to do," he sobbed brokenly.

Lisa didn't say anything, just squeezed his hand. After a few more minutes of anguished weeping, Ianto rubbed his eyes and sat up. He wiped his face and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips. "It's okay, I'll think of something. I just need… I just need to sleep for a few hours." 

Lisa nodded, trying to smile at him. 

He smiled back. "It'll be okay, love. Do you need anything?"

She shook her head and told Ianto in her soft voice, "I'm fine, Ianto. I love you. Please go rest."

After another kiss, Ianto obeyed. He collapsed on their bed and was unconscious in seconds. 

He dreamed…

This time the images were not of fire and blood, but of Lisa sleeping next to him, Lisa on a camping trip, Lisa waking him with coffee and kisses. He woke with tears running down his cheeks again. Lying there, unable to summon the strength to get back to work, he let his mind wander. _What to do, where to go, who to trust, how to find help…_ And then Vizzini's rule crept into his mind. _Go back to the beginning… Torchwood… the beginning…_ And Ianto knew what he had to do.

Torchwood. That meant Torchwood Three. That meant Cardiff… and Captain Jack Harkness.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto Jones meets Captain Jack Harkness...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Two
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Warnings: A spot of violence 
> 
> Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4) and Fragments (2x12) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue and situations borrowed from Cyberwoman and Fragments. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Two**

Ianto thought about Captain Jack Harkness. He was a bit of a legend in Torchwood. There were rumours about him on every possible topic: that there had been a ‘Captain Jack Harkness' at Torchwood for over 100 years, that he'd murdered his entire team and gotten away with it, that he'd shag anyone and anything that crossed his path, that he was really an alien… the list went on and on. Ianto discounted all the rumours as idle speculation. Well, except the bit about the shagging. 

He'd seen Captain Harkness once when he was visiting London shortly after Ianto had started. He'd watched from an upper level as the Captain walked, no make that **swaggered** through Torchwood Tower on his way to Director Hartman's office, grinning and flirting with just about everyone who crossed his path. Several people around Ianto had pointed him out and told him some of the more salacious rumours they had heard while Ianto only half listened. He couldn't take his eyes off the tall figure in the billowing coat. When the Captain entered the lift and turned to face front, Ianto would have sworn he was looking right at him. Those piercing blue eyes, staring into him… through him. The lift doors closed and jolted Ianto back to reality. There was no way the Captain could have seen him, no reason for him to even look at Ianto. But after that, Ianto believed the shagging rumours. The man had the gravitational pull of a small planet and Ianto could see how anyone could get caught in it.

A small sound wiped the reminiscent smile from Ianto's face. He could hear Lisa crying softly in the next room. When he glanced at his watch he was amazed at how long he had slept. Sighing, he pulled his aching body off the bed and went to give Lisa another shot of morphine. He would finish what he had been working on before he almost burned the place down and then he would think about Captain Harkness and how best to approach him.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

In the end it was really very simple.

Getting to the end, however, had been a nightmare.

Ianto and Lisa had agreed that Torchwood Three was their only option. If they couldn't find help there in one form or another, they weren't going to find it anywhere else. With that in mind, Ianto made plans to move Lisa to Cardiff. He found a basement flat in a sketchy part of town where he was pretty sure the neighbours wouldn't be interested in striking up a friendship with the new boy next door. He rented a lorry and in one horrible night he moved Lisa, all the machinery and the conversion-cum-life-support equipment from London to Cardiff.

After he had Lisa settled in the flat, Ianto spent all his spare time watching Captain Harkness. He knew the secret location of Torchwood Three and found their ‘hidden base' a little charming and very Captain Jack. He had to wait several days for his chance to intercept the Captain under the right circumstances. In the meantime, he studied the team, learning all he could about them. The tall woman with long hair and the other man on the team, whom Ianto guessed was a doctor of some sort, were the two he had seen scavenging the wreckage of Torchwood Tower. The only other member of the team was a small Asian woman who appeared to be the computer guru. She was the most solitary of the team, often walking alone behind the rest when they all left the base together. Ianto decided that if he made no headway with the Captain, he would try to approach her.

One night, about a week after Ianto had arrived in Cardiff, he saw the Captain appear out of nowhere on the Plass. Ianto didn't have time to wonder where he had come from, since the Captain took off at a run, yelling something about coordinates into his ear piece. Following at a discrete distance, Ianto saw the Captain veer off into a nearby alley and then speed up as something caught his eye.

Ianto just focussed on keeping up. The Captain was running at a furious pace, chasing something or someone that Ianto could never quite see. They broke out of the buildings and were soon running through a large park. The Captain finally caught up with the figure and launched himself at it. Ianto hung back, waiting for his opening. He found a large piece of tree branch and watched the fight with a practised eye.

His chance came when the creature rolled the Captain onto his back and went for his throat. Ianto jumped in and gave it a solid whack with the tree branch. Nothing. He hit it again and it raised its head to snarl at him. Ianto gave it a quick backhand and then moved in to grapple with it. Falling back as the thing attacked, Ianto saw that it was a weevil. Grimacing, he was trying to fight it off when the Captain came to his rescue, pulling the beast off and dragging it to the ground. He sprayed something in its eyes and straddled its chest, reaching into his coat. After quickly tying a bag over its head, the Captain injected it with a sedative and then stood and looked at Ianto who had leaned nonchalantly against a tree.

"Thanks," Ianto said, still breathing hard.

"No, thank you," the Captain replied automatically. He looked more closely at Ianto, taking him in for the first time. When he spoke again, his voice was lower, more intimate. "And you are?"

"Jones, Ianto Jones," Ianto said, reaching out a hand as he cringed on the inside. _Stupid prat_ , he thought, _delusions of James Bond now, is it?_

The other man shook hands with a little smile, "Nice to meet you Jones, Ianto Jones. Capt'n Jack Harkness."

Trying not to betray that he already knew the Captain's name, Ianto looked down at the weevil. "Lucky escape."

The Captain studied Ianto closely, but only said, "I had it under control."

"You think so?" Sceptical, Ianto looked back at the Captain who laughed. "Looked pretty vicious. You're um… uh." Ianto reached a hand out to the Captain's neck where he'd seen the weevil take a bite out of him. The Captain leaned back out of his reach, a suspicious look on his face. "You **were** bleeding." 

"Had worse from shaving," he replied.

Unable to meet those probing eyes for long, Ianto glanced down. "Looked like a weevil to me."

There was a slight pause as the Captain stared intently at Ianto. "I have no idea what you're talking about." 

Ianto shot him a pitying glance. 

The Captain didn't seem to know what to make of him. He ignored the look from Ianto, gave himself a shake and said, "I'll take him from here," his voice even smoother than before. He reached down to lift the weevil easily over his shoulders. He looked at Ianto again, swaying very close as he said, "Thanks for the assistance," before walking away.

Ianto turned to watch the Captain leave. Trying desperately to leave some sort of impression on the other man, Ianto called after him, "Anytime. By the way… love the coat." 

As soon as the Captain was out of sight, Ianto slumped against a tree, breathing hard again. He'd done it. First contact and all that. He sighed and ran his hands over his face, grimacing when he brushed the cut at his temple. He began the long walk home, thinking about the Captain and what to do next.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto gets Captain Jack Harkness a cup of coffee...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Three
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Warnings: A spot of violence 
> 
> Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4) and Fragments (2x12) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue and situations borrowed from Cyberwoman and Fragments. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Three**

Ianto didn't sleep that night. He hadn't been able to sneak past Lisa when he got home and she was frantic about the cut on his head. He cleaned it up, insisting it was just a scratch but she wouldn't let it go, worrying that Ianto was putting himself in danger for her. She kept at him, in too much pain to rest, refusing any morphine, tormenting herself with thoughts of Ianto getting hurt. Ianto had spent countless hours pleading with her to take the drugs and finally convinced her to agree to a smaller dose. When she finally drifted off, Ianto stumbled blearily into his room. He was just starting to pull off his jeans when he heard the alarm begin to beep. Remembering the plan for that morning, he grabbed a clean shirt and went to the kitchen. 

He brewed a pot of his strongest, darkest roast and filled a large thermos with the coffee. He checked on Lisa one more time and then set out across the bay.

Ianto waited outside the door of the fake Tourist Office which served as the main entrance to Torchwood. Sometime between 8:30 and 10:00 every morning, the Captain came out this door and then headed to the Starbucks on the corner. Ianto filled the mug he had brought with him and stood waiting. 

The first cup got cold quickly in the cool morning breeze off the water. Ianto dumped it out and refilled the mug from the thermos he had stashed under the stairs leading up to the boardwalk. He waited.

Two more refills and his patience paid off. Striding purposefully out of the door like a man on a mission, the Captain didn't see him at first.

"Morning!" Ianto said brightly. "Coffee?" 

The Captain looked surprised but reached out to take the proffered mug. He looked at Ianto for a second then raised the mug to his lips. Pausing for another second, a distinctly suspicious look on his face, he took a sip. Eyes rolling with pleasure, the Captain said, "Wow," and handed the mug back to Ianto.

Diving right in, Ianto blurted out, "I wanna work for you."

"Sorry, no vacancies."

"Look, let me tell you about myself –" Ianto began, but the Captain interrupted.

"Ianto Jones, born August 19, 1983." A little taken aback, Ianto followed when the Captain started to walk away, cringing at the bare bones of his life laid out in front of him. "Able student but not exceptional. One minor conviction for shoplifting in your teens, number of temporary jobs, mainly a drifter until two years ago you joined the Torchwood Institute in London. Junior researcher, girlfriend Lisa Hallett."

"Deceased," Ianto said quickly, not sure why he lied, only sure that he wanted the Captain to stop this train of thought.

The older man turned his head briefly to offer a perfunctory ‘sorry.' 

Ianto moved in front of the Captain, placing a restraining hand on his chest for a moment to stop him. "Look, you checked me out," he said, the question of why hanging between them.

"You knew what a weevil was. Thought I was going to have to come… deal with you," the Captain said, that smooth voice from the night before returning, the little pause hinting that perhaps he wouldn't have minded **dealing** with Ianto.

Filing that observation away for future use, Ianto continued, "But instead you can see I have the right qualifications for the job."

"There is no job. We're nothing to do with Torchwood London. I severed all links." The Captain brushed past Ianto, eager to get away.

"Yet when it burned," Ianto said, following and moving to stop the Captain with his hand at his chest again. "Two members of your team scavenged the ruins."

Reaching up, the Captain took Ianto's hand between his thumb and forefinger, like he was holding something dirty, and pushed him away. "I don't want the equipment getting into the wrong hands."

"And you're the right hands, are you?" Ianto was pleased to see the Captain flinch a little at that comment. He tried again. "Trial period, three months."

"No."

Desperate now, Ianto said, "Three weeks. Three days! Let me prove myself to you. I'll work for nothing."

The Captain simply said, "No," and started to walk away again.

"I saw what they did at Canary Wharf," Ianto cried, stepping in front of the other man again. "What am I supposed to do with those memories?" he asked, hating how broken he sounded. This was not how it was supposed to go.

Angry now, the Captain almost shouted, "You are not my responsibility. And we're not hiring." He moved around Ianto and continued down the walkway.

Hating the pleading note in his voice, Ianto asked, "Same time tomorrow then?"

The Captain didn't even turn around. "There is no job for you here and there never will be."

Realising how completely wrong the whole conversation had gone, Ianto felt the hysteria start to build in his chest. Unable to stop himself, he called after the Captain, "I really like that coat!"

After the other man had disappeared around the corner, Ianto sagged against the stone wall behind him. Bowing his head, he realised he was still holding the mug of coffee. With an exclamation of disgust, he threw it into the bay. _How could I be so stupid?_ He sighed and walked back to the stairs to retrieve his thermos. Tucking it under his arm, he turned towards home. _Something else, there has to be something else_ , he thought as he walked. _Something big that will get his attention. I can't tell Lisa I've failed, not yet. There must be something else…_


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack and Ianto meet a dinosaur...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Four
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4) and Fragments (2x12) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue and situations borrowed from Cyberwoman and Fragments. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Four**

The next three mornings, Ianto repeated his coffee cup routine outside the Tourist Office, but the Captain never walked out the door. Ianto had to accept that he was either getting out of the base a different way or forgoing his morning caffeine fix altogether. Either way, apparently he wasn't going to get to Captain Jack Harkness the same way twice.

Digging through his boxes labelled ‘work crap' that were piled in the bedroom, Ianto found the rift activity locater he had been cataloguing when the Cybermen invaded. He hadn't realised he'd pocketed it until he was finally stripping off his ruined suit that night and he heard it clatter on the floor of the bathroom. He turned it on now, pleased to find that it was fully charged and working properly. In fact, it was shooting out all kinds of data. It took Ianto a few hours to get it calibrated correctly for this proximity to the rift, but once he had it set right, he knew he could use it to keep an eye on things. As soon as something big fell through the rift, he would get there first.

He didn't have long to wait.

Less than a week later, Ianto felt the rift monitor vibrating merrily in the pocket of his suit. He extricated himself quickly from his meeting with a loan officer, hoping he was tactful enough that he could still get the loan, and ran from the bank.

He followed the signal to an abandoned warehouse across town. After he had ascertained exactly **what** had fallen through the rift and tried, without notable success, to calm it down, he checked the GPS to see if the Captain was setting out to investigate. The tracker which Ianto had hidden on the SUV was still functioning and indicated that it was heading straight for him.

Sure enough, moments later Ianto saw the Torchwood SUV barreling down the street. Taking a deep breath, he stepped in front of the car.

The SUV screeched to a halt and a very angry Captain Jack Harkness got out, slamming the door behind him.

"Okay, this has to stop!" he yelled, striding towards Ianto.

Trying to explain, Ianto started, "No, listen to m–"

Pointing an accusing finger at the younger man, the Captain interrupted, "I don't have time for this. Look, I don't care what your problem is, I want you out of the city by sunrise. There is no place for you here. Go back to London, find yourself another life. Keep stalking me, I'll wipe your memory."

Ianto tried again, "No, but the thing is – "

Furious, the Captain kept talking. "Look, any conversation between us, no matter what the subject, is over, finished, done, forever. I'm getting back behind the wheel of that car. If you're still standing in the road, I'm gonna drive through you." He turned on his heel to make good on his threat.

"So you're not going to help me catch this pterodactyl, then?" Ianto asked.

He finally had the Captain's attention.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Ianto stood by Jack as he loaded up a large syringe with sedative. Shaking his head with disbelief, he marvelled, "Okay, that is the only special equipment you've got?"

Apparently annoyed by Ianto's very presence, Jack retorted, "Yeah, 'cause I keep dinosaur nets in the back of the SUV."

"Torchwood London would have."

Glaring at Ianto, Jack ran to the warehouse door. They burst through it together and saw the pterodactyl gliding gracefully around the empty warehouse, changing direction to fly right at them. 

"Nope!" Ianto yelled as they retreated into the alley and slammed the door a second before the pterodactyl rammed it.

They leant against the door which, Ianto noticed with the touch of hysteria that seemed to fill him when he was around the Captain, had a Fire Exit sign on the **outside**. Before he could vocalise his comical concern about people rushing **into** a building to escape a fire, the Captain asked him a question.

"How did you find it?"

"Rift activity locater," Ianto replied. He was about to reach in his pocket to show it to the other man, but realised that his hand was securely trapped between the door and the Captain's arse.

"Torchwood London." It was not a question.

"See? Quality kit."

The pterodactyl screeched again. "Hmmm, it's quite excitable," the Captain said, sounding a little excited himself.

"Must be your aftershave," Ianto quipped, wondering where the urge or the ability to flirt had suddenly sprung from.

The Captain looked confused for a moment. "Never wear any."

Ianto replied without thinking. "You smell like that naturally?" 

Grinning, he said, "51st Century pheromones. You people have no idea."

Ianto looked away for a moment, unable to believe that he had remarked on the other man's scent and unwilling to believe the Captain's response. _Comments like that were probably where a lot of the rumours about Jack Harkness got started_ , Ianto thought.

"Ready for another go?" the Captain asked.

"I'm game if you are."

The Captain counted down, "Three… two… one," and opened the door again.

As soon as they were on the other side, the pterodactyl flew at them again. Instinctively following the Captain's hurried command to split up, Ianto ran from the dinosaur, yelling his head off as he did. The pterodactyl landed between them and the door, trapping them inside. For a moment it looked like it would try to escape out the slightly opened door but then it turned to face the two men who had met up behind it.

Jack shushed Ianto as they bumped into each other and then began to walk slowly towards the dinosaur. "We're not gonna harm you," he said soothingly. "You can't stay here. Come back with me, I've got somewhere nice and big where you can fly around."

Miffed, Ianto whispered, "Okay, so you'll let the pterodactyl in and not me."

"We need a guard dog," Jack muttered, not taking his eyes from the dinosaur.

"I can be that! Like a receptionist, building maintenance, food and drink, dry cleaning even. That coat of yours must take a battering. Like a butler, I could be a butler!" _Christ, what am I saying?_ Ianto thought.

"We don't need a butler."

Ianto grabbed the Captain's arm. "Excuse me? Dried egg on your collar."

"It was a busy week."

Pulling on the Captain's arm again, Ianto asked, "What exactly is your plan?"

The Captain yanked his arm from Ianto's grip, irritated. "I'm going to be the decoy –"

"And it will rip you to shreds," Ianto finished.

"Dinosaurs?" the Captain scoffed. "Heh, had ‘em for breakfast. Had to. The only source of pre-killed food protein after the asteroid crashed." He looked at the startled expression on Ianto's face. "Long story. Here you go." He passed the syringe to the other man. "One injection to the central nervous cortex. I'll keep it occupied. Move!"

"No."

"What?"

Ianto handed the syringe back to the Captain. "It knows me. I'll be a better decoy."

He shook his head. "No! Way too dangerous."

Ianto had to try very hard not to roll his eyes. _Too dangerous?_ Five minutes ago the Captain had been threatening him with vehicular homicide and now he was worried for Ianto's safety? He was becoming more intrigued by Captain Jack Harkness by the moment. He kept all this to himself and merely said, "No, I've got a secret weapon." He pulled a bar from his suit coat. "Chocolate, preferably dark." Without waiting for a reply from the Captain, Ianto walked closer to the pterodactyl. He whistled softly, trying to catch its attention. "I've got your favourite, yeah," he said inanely as he tossed the bar on the ground. "It's good for your serotonin levels… if you've got serotonin levels."

The pterodactyl pecked at the bar but then turned suddenly to face the Captain who had been creeping up behind it. The dinosaur took off, but the Captain managed to grab its foot and hang on for dear life as the pterodactyl flew around the warehouse, trying to shake him off. He was finally able to inject the creature and then promptly fell.

Ianto had been spotting him from the ground and was able to move under the Captain so he didn't collide with the pavement, but with Ianto instead. They crashed to the ground and rolled to avoid the plummeting dinosaur. Laughing with relief, Ianto lay on top of the Captain for a long moment. When the laughter stopped, they were still breathing hard, their faces inches apart. Ianto was struck with the sudden and inexplicable desire to lower his mouth to Jack's, to capture the warm breath he felt against his cheek. And if he was reading the desire in the other man's eyes correctly, Jack wouldn't object. He felt his body stir at the idea of kissing those full, perfect lips and said, before he could act on the shocking yearning, "I should go." 

He paused one second more, just long enough to feel an answering response from certain parts of Jack's anatomy, and then he pulled himself off the other man. Walking quickly to the exit, he heard the Captain behind him.

"Hey!" 

Ianto paused. 

"Report for work first thing tomorrow." 

Ianto looked back over his shoulder, unable to meet the Captain's eyes. Giving him a sketchy nod, Ianto kept walking. 

But the Captain wasn't done. "Like the suit, by the way," he said in that same seductive tone he'd used the first night they'd met.

It was too much for Ianto. Fighting back tears, he hurried from the building. As soon as he was out the door, he darted around the corner and vomited, holding onto the building for support as his body heaved. He heard the Captain fire up the SUV and back it closer to the door. When he cut the engine again, Ianto realised how close he was to walking around the building to confess everything, throw himself on the Captain's mercy and beg for help. But everything he'd learned about the Captain told him that decision would mean Lisa's death. A little voice in his head wondered if that wouldn't be for the best, but Ianto quashed it, fought his desire to go to Jack and walked into the night.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

When he finally made it back to the flat, Ianto was relieved to find Lisa was asleep. He crept quietly into the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. He lay there, thinking about the next morning. _I'm in. Now what the hell am I going to do?_ he thought. In his heart, Ianto had never believed this plan would work, but now that it had, he needed to make more plans and even bigger decisions. Ianto sighed. It didn't help his already fractured state of mind to have Captain Jack Harkness' face suddenly swimming before his eyes. Ianto groaned and rolled over, burying his face under the pillow. He'd been right – the man was a force of nature. And Ianto wasn't sure he'd be able to resist.

He thought back to the warehouse, the feeling of Jack's body beneath him, his arms around him, their breaths mingling, time standing still. Groaning again, Ianto hit the pillow with his fist a few times. _This is silly_ , he thought sitting up. _The man is going to be my boss so I'll just be strictly professional and that's it. Not to mention he's a **man** for crying out loud._ Ianto grinned for a second. Maybe he hadn't been kidding about the pheromones after all. He heard a sound that wiped the smile from his face. Lisa was awake and she was crying again.

Ianto hung his head, guilt washing over him in a wave. He grabbed the morphine and the needles from the nightstand and went out to offer what comfort he could to the woman he loved.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto begins his new job at Torchwood Three...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Five
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for situations borrowed from Cyberwoman. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Five**

The next morning Ianto pulled another suit out of the back of his closet since the Captain had seemed to like him in one. He tied his tie with care, making sure he looked as dignified as possible. He needed all the help he could get to pull this off and the suit made him feel surprisingly confident. 

He spent a few minutes talking to Lisa as he downed a cup of coffee. He was worried about leaving her alone for so long, but she did everything she could to relieve his guilt. Giving her a dose of painkillers and some sedatives, Ianto kissed her softly and reported for duty.

He wasn't sure exactly where to go or what time he was expected, so he headed for the door of the Tourist Office, fully prepared to wait. This was apparently the right choice as he saw the Captain standing outside, leaning against the railing and looking out over the water. 

"I thought you'd be an early bird," the Captain called, not turning his head. Ianto joined him by the railing and faced the bay. "Everyone else wanders in between nine and ten – we often have late nights." He looked at Ianto. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"No, sir," Ianto replied.

"No one at home waiting with supper ready?" the Captain asked, teasing and serious at the same time.

Ianto tightened his hands around the rail but said in a mild tone, "No, sir."

The Captain watched him for a moment with narrowed eyes, almost as if he could tell Ianto was lying, but he merely said, "Alright then, why don't we start with the tour?"

Ianto nodded, turning to follow the Captain as he unlocked the Tourist Office door. He flipped on a light, illuminating a very small, rather dingy room with a large counter covered in messy piles of fliers. 

"This will be your… well, your office for lack of a better term. We've never had anyone up here so you'll need to get it kitted up for yourself. Feel free to raid the supply closet downstairs and just let me know if you need anything to make it comfortable." The Captain pointed at a hideous beaded curtain. "Behind there is a little back room. We usually use it for storage, but you can set it up however you like."

"Sir?"

Ianto noticed the Captain always smiled when he called him sir. Sounding amused, he replied, "Yes, Ianto?"

"I was just wondering, if you've never had anyone up here… well, don't people come in for brochures and things?"

The Captain's smile widened. He reached behind the counter for a little hand-printed sign which read:

Away for a moment, please help yourself!

"We lock the door or just leave this up. Sometimes people wait for a while, but they always give up and leave after a bit." He pointed to a small camera in the corner of the room. "Internal CCTV, we can watch all parts of the Hub – uh, sorry, that's what we call the base – anyway, we can watch everything on the monitors."

Ianto's blood ran cold. _Internal CCTV? That will complicate things._ The Captain was still talking. "…pens, paper, whatever. It's all in there. Like I said, just let me know what you need. I'll show you the forms and stuff." He smiled suddenly. "Hey! I just realised – you can do the paperwork now." He rubbed his hands together, delighted. "You may have been right, Ianto, we do need someone for the day-to-day stuff. I'm suddenly very glad you found that damn dinosaur after all."

Ianto smiled weakly. "Thank you, sir."

"Okay, the Hub. This way," the Captain said, pointing at a stone wall. Before Ianto could question him, he pushed a button on the side of the counter and the wall swung back. Motioning Ianto to go through, the Captain followed him and the wall closed behind them. Not sure which way to go, Ianto waited for direction. Instead of speaking, the Captain put his hand at the small of Ianto's back, guiding him down the hall. Ianto swallowed hard and tried not to think about Jack touching him. Another door slid open at the end of the hall, revealing a service lift. The door shut automatically after they stepped inside. "Sensors," the Captain explained. "A lot of the Hub is automated."

Ianto nodded and then staggered a little as the lift shot downward. The Captain smiled and reached his arm out, turning him so they were facing the back of the lift. They went several stories underground before the lift doors on the back side opened into a small hallway with a large cog door which the Captain opened by turning a key in the wall. It rolled back with a loud clattering as iron gates swung open to reveal a cavernous room of several levels with what appeared to be a waterfall in the middle. Ianto realised he was looking at the base of the water feature outside the Millennium Centre. The Hub, as the Captain called it, was part abandoned tube station, part tree house and part sailing ship with walkways and rooms jutting out in odd places. It was filled with equipment and computers and bits of alien technology all jumbled together with every day office detritus – files spilling off of desks, coffee mugs scattered around, pizza boxes piled on top of… _is that a hand in a jar?_

"Wow," Ianto said with his voice full of wonder.

"It's pretty impressive, isn't it?" the Captain replied, smiling smugly as he surveyed his little empire.

Ianto didn't think it would be wise to correct the Captain's misinterpretation of his astonishment. He'd been thinking that it was a pit and he couldn't imagine how four people could make such a mess. Instead he simply nodded, fearing his voice might betray his dismay.

"And look." The Captain nudged Ianto with his shoulder and pointed to a cave-like overhang about three stories above their heads. "It's perfect, don't you think?"

Before the words ‘perfect for what?' could escape his mouth, Ianto saw the pterodactyl emerge from the hole in the wall. It screeched in a bizarre show of recognition and flew across the Hub to cling momentarily to a piece of railing and screech again. It swooped down over their heads and then returned to its new nest.

Ianto looked at the man next to him who was grinning like a little kid. Unable to resist such infectious amusement, he smiled back. "Perfect," he said, not sure he was actually talking about the pterodactyl habitat.

Jack laughed and clapped a strong hand against Ianto's back. "It'll need a name. The others around here are crap at naming things. Maybe you can come up with something?" 

_That's definitely a challenge,_ Ianto thought, looking into Jack's blue eyes. Wracking his brain, he couldn't think of anything… _how the hell do you go about naming something from the dawn of time? ..._ and then his brain snagged on a memory of a John Cale bootleg. There was a song on there that Lisa was fond of – she had asked him to play it for her the other night as she tried to sleep. 

"Well..." he said slowly. "How about Myfanwy?"

"Myfanwy?" Jack asked.

"It's from an old Welsh song," Ianto explained, flushing slightly.

"Myfanwy," Jack murmured as he watched the blush creep charmingly up Ianto's smooth cheeks. "I like it." He took a deep breath and turned away, walking purposefully to the centre of the Hub. "Right, full tour – here we go. This is the Rift Manipulator…"

The Captain had time to show Ianto most of the big equipment and the layout of the Hub before anyone else came in. The long haired woman was first and the Captain introduced her as Suzie Costello, second in command. She was polite, shaking hands with him as she said hello, but she couldn't quite hide her surprise when the Captain added that Ianto was the newest member of the team. Wide-eyed, Suzie didn't linger, heading quickly to her workstation.

The Captain watched her hurry away and frowned. "Maybe I should have had you come tomorrow so I could warn everyone."

"Sir?" Ianto asked.

Smiling again, the Captain continued, "We're a rather small group by any definition, especially by Torchwood One standards – only four of us. Technically I'm the boss and Suzie's number two, but we tend to do things more as a team. I hired you kind of on impulse." He looked up at Ianto from under dark lashes. "I didn't think it through. Just knew I wanted you…" He dropped his eyes and coughed. "Sorry, that I wanted you on the team. Hope I didn't make things harder for you."

"I'm sure I'm up to the challenge," Ianto said primly.

The Captain laughed. "You haven't met Owen yet. Do you want a cup of coffee or tea or something? The others should be coming in soon."

"Coffee sounds good."

"This way." The Captain took Ianto up to a small kitchenette which housed the requisite coffee maker, microwave, kettle and various accoutrements. Pouring Ianto a cup of coffee, the Captain apologised, "I don't make the world's best coffee." He handed the mug to Ianto who sipped the dark liquid and just barely managed to keep from spitting it back into his cup. The Captain tilted his head a bit to look and Ianto. "Did you actually make that coffee you gave me the other morning?"

"Yes, I'm rather addicted to the stuff."

"Great! First official job – coffee. Save me running to Starbucks three times a day. I don't care if they're gonna be the Official Coffee of Planet Earth, yours was better."

There was another one of those strange comments that had Ianto wondering just who the hell Jack Harkness really was. Deciding your first day of work was not the best time to question your boss on all the rumours you'd heard about him, Ianto misguidedly took another sip of his coffee. Grimacing as he swallowed, he moved to dump his cup down the sink and said, "If you've no objection, sir, I believe I'll start right now."

"Great!" the Captain said again. "You know, Ianto, we're pretty informal around here. You can call me Jack if you like."

"Thank you, sir, I'll try to keep that in mind," Ianto said and turned to the coffee maker.

Jack lingered for a moment, watching as Ianto emptied out the carafe and began to clean the machine. He strolled over to Suzie's area and struck up a conversation that was too quiet for Ianto to hear.

Ianto breathed a sigh of relief when Jack walked away. He'd been tense all morning, waiting for those keen blue eyes to see something that Ianto was hiding. _So far, so good_ , Ianto thought.

He had finished cleaning the coffee maker and had a new pot brewed by the time the cog door rolled back again to reveal two people who came in bickering.

"If you didn't even watch the end, then how can you say it's stupid?"

"I didn't need to **see** it to **know** how it was going to end, Tosh. It's like all those stupid shows, total bollocks. I don't know why you waste your time with – Hello. Who the hell are you?"

"I'm –" Ianto started.

"This is Ianto Jones," Jack said, taking the mug of coffee Ianto was holding out to him. "Newest member of Torchwood Three." Ignoring the shocked stares from his colleagues, Jack continued the introductions. "Ianto, this is Toshiko Sato, resident computer and technology genius." Ianto shook hands with the Asian woman who gave him a warm smile. "And this is Doctor Owen Harper, our medic." Ianto reached his hand out to the doctor, but Owen just stood there with his arms crossed.

"So what's he gonna do around here? Besides make coffee that is?" he asked with a sneer in his voice.

"Knock it off, Owen," Toshiko said, pushing Owen towards his workstation. Giving Ianto another smile she said, "Welcome," and followed.

Ianto could hear them squabbling as they crossed the Hub.

"All I'm saying is that if Jack needed a secretary to fetch him coffee, why couldn't he hire some cute little blonde thing with big tits like any other self-respecting man?"

"Shut up, Owen," Ianto heard Toshiko say as she darted an embarrassed look at him. He smiled back at her. _So that was Owen. I can handle him_ , Ianto thought. _All bark is my guess._

Turning, he was rather surprised by the dark look on Jack's face. "Team meeting in ten minutes!" he called across the Hub. Everyone groaned.

Ten minutes later, everyone was assembled in the glass room Ianto had seen jutting out of the wall at a strange angle. Hoping he wasn't going to have to introduce himself in front of everyone, Ianto sat straight in his chair waiting to see what would happen. He had brought a tray of coffee with enough for everyone. They all seemed grateful – well, everyone but Owen, who managed to make it look like drinking his was a chore. 

Jack walked into the room, already talking. "Suzie, what's the status on that load of weapons we recovered last week?"

Suzie seemed taken aback by the question. "I… uh… well, I haven't had time to begin anything. I'm still trying to –"

"Right. Tosh? Any progress on those numbers for UNIT?"

"You said you didn't need them until Friday so I've been working on that translation. I can get started today if –"

Jack cut her off too. "Owen, have you managed to get the morgue filing up to date yet?"

Owen, looking sulky and realising where this was heading, didn't reply. He just shook his head and took another sip of coffee.

"Right. So are there still questions about why I hired an Admin?"

The team looked slightly abashed. Ianto wanted the floor to open up and swallow him. This was not the way to engender camaraderie. 

"I didn't get Ianto from some temp agency either. He was a junior researcher with Torchwood London for two years." There was a small gasp from someone at the table, but Ianto was staring at his coffee cup so he wasn't sure who it came from. "I'm sure he has more than the necessary qualifications to clean up after you lot and help with your paperwork. He survived the Battle of Canary Wharf and still came here looking for a job because he wants to help. Just something to keep in mind. Any questions?" No one spoke. "Great. Then get back to work."

The team filed out of the conference room quickly and headed back to their workstations.

Jack sat down and smiled across the table at Ianto. "Yeah, I should have had you come in tomorrow. Sorry about that."

Ianto shook his head. "Nothing I can't handle, sir. Is there anything in particular you'd like me to start on today?"

Jack nodded. "Why don't you come down to my office and you can go through the computer while I'm there. I can answer any questions you think of and point out some things to you. You can work on getting your space set up this afternoon."

"Sounds good, sir," Ianto replied as both men stood up. Jack headed out the door first, Ianto lingering to put the coffee cups on a tray and push in the chairs around the conference room table.

Jack smiled. "I'm gonna enjoy having you around, Ianto."


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack and Ianto go to lunch (and the rest of The First Day)...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Six
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for situations borrowed from Cyberwoman. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Six**

After a few moments on the computer, Ianto realised that it was identical to the Torchwood One set-up. He was able to navigate it with ease and even showed Jack a few tricks he didn't know. Confident that he would be able to do just about anything they needed on the computers, Ianto spent the rest of the morning filling out the new hire paperwork that existed on any job – even top secret ones. 

At about noon, Jack pulled Ianto up from his chair and said, "Lunchtime." They walked out into the Hub and Jack hollered an invitation for the rest of the team to join them. Apparently still smarting from the morning meeting, all three of them declined with varying degrees of politeness and said they were too busy. Jack grinned at that and told them they'd be at the pub if anyone changed their minds.

When Ianto passed Owen's desk, he heard some scornful muttering from the doctor. Something about a tea-boy? Ianto thought, but decided that rising to the bait was exactly what Owen wanted him to do so he just gave him a smile as he walked by.

"Let's take the lift," Jack said, stepping onto a large square stone in the centre of the Hub and motioning for Ianto to join him.

As he stepped up onto the slab, Ianto asked, "Lift, sir?" as he looked around.

Jack just smiled and flipped open his brown leather wristband. He pressed a few buttons and then the stone beneath their feet started to rise. Caught off balance, Ianto staggered and felt Jack's strong arm steady him. "Lift," Jack said.

They rode the lift all the way to the top of the Hub, rising alongside the water feature. Ianto found himself standing in the middle of Roald Dahl Plass in a matter of moments. He looked around in amazement. There was a small group of school-children and another larger group of tourists swarming around them, but no one seemed shocked to see them appear out of the ground.

"They can't see us, can they?" Ianto asked.

Jack looked surprised and pleased. "Nope, good call. As long as we're on the lift, we're sort of out of their range of perception. We don't use this often, but it can be handy sometimes." Jack waited until there were several people walking close to them and then simply joined the crowd. 

As they walked away, Ianto looked back at the seemingly innocuous slab of stone.

"Sir? When the platform is coming up, don't people fall in?"

Jack just shook his head and muttered something about the Welsh under his breath.

Lunch was actually quite pleasant, much to Ianto's surprise. More relaxed than he had ever seen him, Jack was actually fun to talk to. Ianto still couldn't tell how much of what he said was actually true, but decided he didn't really care. His resolution to remain professional was sorely tested during that hour. When Jack turned the charm on, he was irresistible and for some reason he seemed to feel the need to make Ianto like him. Maybe he was making up for his earlier rudeness, maybe he felt that he had to compensate for the rest of the team, maybe he just really wanted to learn about him. Ianto didn't know. And he found that he didn't care either.

He spent the rest of the day hauling junk out of the back room and setting up the space as his office. It was definitely cosy, but when he had finished with the office, it was perfectly laid out and useable. He took some time to clean up the Tourist Office as well. He set up a computer at the end of the counter, straightened the piles of brochures, made a quick data base of the suppliers so he could easily request replacements for some of the more outdated fliers and then looked at his new little kingdom, satisfied.

The feeling only lasted for a moment. If this had been a real first day on a real new job, Ianto would have been entirely happy. As it was, he felt a new load of guilt layer itself on top of the one he had carried since he found Lisa in the basement of Torchwood One. He **liked** Jack, he **liked** being useful again, he even liked the rest of the team (although Owen was going to take some patience). He didn't like the idea of deceiving them. He felt like a double agent in one of those espionage novels Lisa used to read. He knew saving her was the right thing to do, he knew that doing whatever it took to cure her was the right thing to do, but that didn't make his deception any easier to accept. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He held still for a moment, taking deep breaths through his nose.

When it had passed, he thought ruefully that if vomiting was his body's reaction to lying he was going to be as thin as a rail by the time this was over.

He heard the stone door in the wall swing back and turned to see Toshiko. He smiled and nodded at her, unsure what to say.

"Well, I'm taking off for the night," she said cheerfully. "I really hope we weren't too awful this morning. It's just that none of us guessed that Jack would hire anyone else. He's dead set against a big team for some reason."

Ianto smiled reassuringly at her. "It was no worse than a first day anywhere, don't you worry."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Toshiko said, "Oh good. Well, it looks really nice in here. You've done a lot."

"Thanks. You have a nice evening, Toshiko," Ianto said politely.

"Thanks, you too. See you tomorrow." She was still smiling as she left through the front door. 

No one else came through the wall, so Ianto assumed they had taken the lift or that everyone else was working late. Wanting to take a look around the Hub and see what he could of the lower levels, Ianto headed down on the service lift. He took a quick look around and decided that cleaning up was as good a way as any to snoop. It gave him an explanation for wandering around in case anyone came back. He found some bin liners in the kitchen area and started to walk around collecting the rubbish. 

"Still here?"

A voice broke the silence of the Hub, making Ianto jump. It was Jack. He had come out of his office which Ianto would have sworn was empty.

"Uh… yeah. I got the office upstairs set up and I thought I'd get a head start down here."

Jack walked out of his office and leant against one of the tables. "Go home, Ianto. The pizza boxes can wait until tomorrow."

"But –" 

"Go home," Jack repeated. He walked over to Ianto and took the bag out of his hands. He twisted it shut and dropped it on the floor. He reached out to Ianto and let his hand rest on the other man's shoulder. "I appreciate your dedication, but this isn't one of the trial periods you offered. I've seen what you can do in the field, you're already making things more liveable here and you definitely know your way around the computer system. You convinced me, Ianto. I need you – we **all** need you here."

Ianto smiled, ignoring the stabbing guilt in his gut. "Thank you, sir. I… I guess I'll be heading home then."

"Good." Jack squeezed his shoulder once and then turned to walk back to his office. When he reached the door, he paused and looked back at Ianto. "And really – call me Jack."

Ianto felt the now familiar flirty smile he always seemed to wear around Jack return to his lips. "I will try… sir," he said.

Jack shook his head and continued into his office.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

When Ianto arrived home that night, he entered the flat with a sense of foreboding. He had never left Lisa alone for such a long time since Canary Wharf. He was relieved to find her awake and only in a little pain. His cocktail of sedatives and painkillers must have been the right dosage after all. They talked a little about his first day at Torchwood, but Ianto could tell she was reading through his cheerful descriptions of Owen's rudeness and Jack's stories and could see the misery underneath.

Ianto was an honest person at his core. He didn't even like telling the white lies that made life so much easier. Lisa knew him well enough to know that this deception was tearing him apart. 

Lisa squeezed Ianto's hand gently. "You must be tired after all that. Please go get some sleep, Ianto. If you'll give me my shot and turn on some quiet music, I'll be all set for the night." She smiled encouragingly.

"Are you sure?" Ianto asked, rubbing his eyes tiredly. 

"Perfectly sure, love."

Ianto sighed, sadness tinged with relief. Every day that passed, he felt the gap between them widen. It got harder and harder to even have conversations, but under it all Ianto still loved Lisa – the ideal Lisa in his mind and the broken shell of Lisa before him. He couldn't separate the two and as long as he felt that way, he knew he had to keep fighting no matter what the cost to himself.

After getting Lisa settled, Ianto stripped off his suit and fell into bed. He had barely pulled the covers over his head before he was sound asleep. Exhausted, he slept without dreaming.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack finds out if Ianto can handle a gun...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Seven
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for situations borrowed from Cyberwoman. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Seven**

The next morning, Ianto had just finished making coffee when Jack popped out of his office, sniffing the air like a bloodhound. Ianto was starting to wonder if he ever went home.

"Ianto? You have officially become my favourite person in the whole world," he called out as he headed for the kitchen area.

Ianto smiled and began to head upstairs.

"Question for you," Jack continued, pausing for a moment to take his first sip of coffee. "Mmm… Okay, I know you were a researcher at Torchwood One and you're officially our Admin here, but just to be prepared – how are you with small firearms?"

Ianto was startled. "I had the basic training that every Torchwood employee got. Nothing extensive but I know which end is which."

Jack grinned. "Well, that's a start. Let's see what you've got." He walked to the staircase and looked over his shoulder. "Coming?" he asked.

Ianto quickly poured himself a mug of coffee and followed.

Jack led him several floors underground, past the cells and the archives and the lower archives. The shooting range was impressive, housed in what looked like an abandoned train tunnel. There were targets arranged at varying distances as far back as Ianto could see and a set of booths with sniper equipment set up behind the firing line. Ianto saw a table with a variety of handguns laid out in tidy lines.

He looked up suspiciously as he took the safety glasses and miked earmuffs from Jack. "You already planned the training? Why did you bother to ask if I needed it?"

Grinning while he put on his own safety gear, Jack said, "I'd have wanted to see you in action no matter what you said. Now, let's start with this one." Jack picked up a tidy little .22 and slid the clip home. He made sure the safety was on and then handed the gun to Ianto.

Ianto looked carefully at the gun. It wasn't too dissimilar from the gun he'd been trained on in London. He flicked the safety off and took aim at the target. He fired off a few rounds and then lowered the gun. He was pleased to see that at least half the bullets hit somewhere on the paper.

"Not bad," Jack said as he walked behind Ianto. "But I think we can do better."

Ianto felt Jack stand right up against his back. His voice was slightly tinny through the earmuff microphone, but that familiar note of intimacy was unmistakable. Ianto fought the tremble that started in the pit of his stomach when Jack brushed against him. Ianto realised Jack was critiquing his firing style and struggled to pay attention.

"…from the front. If you turn sideways," he said, putting his hands on Ianto's hips and turning him gently, "you'll find you present a smaller target. Plus it allows you to line up your shots using your body as a guide." He kept his left hand on Ianto's hip and brought his right hand up to Ianto's shoulder. "Turn your head," he murmured. 

Ianto looked down the tunnel, now able to see Jack out of the corner of his eye. He found it very distracting. Jack ran his finger from Ianto's shoulder, down his arm to the gun he was now clenching in his hand. "You see how you can use the line of your arm to line up the shot?"

Ianto nodded.

"Now raise the gun… good, nice and slow." Jack chuckled, leaning into him, his breath brushing against Ianto's neck. "At least I don't have to correct any bad action film moves like holding the gun with two hands or throwing the bullets at people."

Ianto laughed as well and then almost swallowed his tongue as Jack's left hand moved up and reached across his chest, while his right hand dropped back to Ianto's hip. 

"Now breathe in." He tightened his arm around Ianto. "Focus on the target. On the exhale, fire."

Ianto squeezed the trigger. He was shocked to see the bullet hit the target. He'd been sure that the sensation of having Jack wrapped around him and the fact that all the blood in his body was rushing away from his brain would have guaranteed a miss.

Jack laughed, hugging Ianto to him. "There you go." He lowered his voice and murmured, "I think you're ready for something bigger."

He let out a shaky breath as Jack pulled away from him and returned to the table. Ianto followed after a moment and reached for the .38 Jack was holding out to him.

"Now this one has more of a kick to it," Jack pointed out, positioning himself behind Ianto again. He kicked gently at the inside of Ianto's ankles. "Spread your legs a little bit more. That's it." He leant in, pressing against Ianto. "Gives you better balance." He surged forward suddenly and tried to knock Ianto over. Luckily, Ianto had assumed Jack would try something like that and was able to keep standing by reaching back to grab the side of Jack's thigh. Jack chuckled again and murmured, "Good."

Ianto resisted the urge to lean back into the welcoming warmth of Jack's body. He quickly removed his hand from Jack's leg and tried to concentrate on the loaded gun in his hand and not the distracting body behind him.

"Alright then," Jack said. "Let's see what you can do with this bad boy."

Ianto rolled his eyes heavenward and prayed for strength.

After Jack was satisfied that Ianto could handle any weapon thrown at him, he dismissed him. Ianto fled to the quiet solitude of the Tourist Office and tried very hard not to think about Captain Jack Harkness for the rest of the day.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Ianto soon fell into a comfortable pattern at Torchwood Three. He arrived at the Hub well before the others, except Jack who appeared to actually live there. Ianto refused to think about how that might complicate his plans for Lisa until he had to. He went immediately down to the Hub to start the first pot of coffee, unload the clean dishes from the night before, and get the kitchen area set for the day. He made a quick sweep of the main work areas and the conference room to clean up any trash. At some point in the proceedings, Jack would emerge from his office and head straight for the coffee. The others would come in at varying times and, if there were no pressing items, Ianto would return to the Tourist Office to watch the front entrance, both physically and through the CCTV, and work on the cataloguing that Jack had given him.

The rest of the team soon came to appreciate Ianto as a worthy addition, even Owen. Ianto had found his place in the world and, other than saving Lisa, the only thing he wanted was for it to last.

After Jack had processed his paperwork, well, really after Ianto had processed his **own** paperwork, he found several doors open to him which had previously been closed. His second meeting at the bank had been much more productive than the first. He walked away with a sizeable loan and was also able to finance a car with no difficulties. After he procured a new car, he invested in some new suits. Feeling at home in the tailoring rooms of the department store, he ended up spending quite a bundle on several perfectly made suits and custom fitted shirts. He told himself it was important to look professional, ignoring the little voice in his head that mocked him for dressing to please Jack.

The main reason Ianto bought a car was to transport pieces of Lisa's life support system to the Hub. In his relatively free time in the Tourist Office, Ianto had scoured the blue prints of the Hub and found the perfect location for Lisa. It was an out-of-the-way storage room that had power and a large lockable door. As soon as he settled on that room, he started to slowly dismantle and rebuild the life support system in the bowels of Torchwood Three. Lisa directed him on which pieces to take first. He would sneak them out of his car whenever the rest of the team went out on assignment and he knew the Hub was empty. It only took a week to get all the non-essential pieces moved and set up. It would have been easier if Jack didn't live in the Hub but Ianto was careful to work under his radar.

Luckily, Lisa didn't have to suffer for long without the bulk of her support system. Shortly after Ianto had finished setting up what he could, a call came in from the Prime Minister requesting Torchwood's presence in London. Ianto set up a suite of rooms for them at Claridge's since Jack insisted on the best if he was going to be forced to meet with the PM. As soon as the team had left, Ianto sped home and managed to fit Lisa and the rest of the equipment in his new Audi. 

On the way to the Hub, Ianto compulsively checked the monitor which displayed the SUV tracker to make sure the coast was clear. He manoeuvred Lisa and the ventilator onto the invisible lift and had her wait while he carried the remaining pieces of the life support system through the Tourist Office. Once he was in the Hub, he lowered the lift and moved Lisa to the storeroom. They worked all night to get the life support system functioning properly. Lisa immediately felt better when they had it up and running with the proper power levels for the first time. She cried tears of joy when she realised breathing was no longer accompanied by searing pain.

Smiling through his own tears, Ianto said, "This is it, love. We did it and we're going to find some help soon, I promise." He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her with all the tenderness in his heart.

"Thank you," Lisa whispered. "Thank you, Ianto."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

When the team returned from London, Ianto tried to perform his duties as if nothing had changed, but it was hard to behave normally when he was so tense he could barely function. He was having trouble sleeping on the few nights he actually left the Hub without sneaking back in to be with Lisa. He could manage to eat if the others were around and watching him, but he usually threw up as soon as he was alone. He convinced himself that he managed to fool the team most of the time. Owen wouldn't have noticed if Ianto started coming to work without trousers, except to make fun of him. Suzie was always focused on her work and had become even more withdrawn since Ianto's first day. Tosh was the closest thing Ianto had to a friend, besides Jack, but when she was working she was also completely focused on the task.

Jack was the only real problem. He still flirted with Ianto whenever the opportunity arose, but it had mellowed into more of a friendly playfulness. Ianto flirted back as much as he could without revealing how much the causal innuendos cost him. He was glad ( _very glad_ , he told himself firmly) that Jack never pressed him for more, never addressed the blaze of connection that flared between them ever since that very first night in the park. But Jack always seemed very aware of Ianto and he found himself having to try extra hard to appear normal whenever Jack was in the room.

Some days he felt like he was literally two different people. There was the Ianto who loved Lisa and spent every moment he could with her and every moment alone trying to find someone who could help her. Then there was the Ianto who brought Jack coffee the way he liked it just so he could see him smile, the Ianto who dressed carefully every morning hoping for a raised eyebrow and a cheeky comment, the Ianto who had to tell himself every day that he was **not** making the colossal mistake of falling in love with his boss. These two Iantos came to work every day, smiled and made coffee, and wondered how long they could last before it all fell apart.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we meet PC Gwen Cooper...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Eight
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Everything Changes (1x1) and Cyberwoman (1x4) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for situations borrowed from Cyberwoman and to Russell T. Davies for dialogue and situations borrowed from Everything Changes. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Eight**

 

Lisa had been inside Torchwood for almost two months when Ianto finally reached someone who could help them. It had taken a lot of lies and a lot of roundabout conversations with the on-site staff, but he finally was able to get the personal email address of Dr. Tanizaki at the Cybertechnology Institute of Osaka. He was in the Tourist Office back room, working on the letter he intended to send when he heard the wall in the swing open.

"Ianto?" 

It was Jack.

Ianto closed his laptop quickly and pushed through the beaded curtain to find Jack leaning on the counter waiting for him.

"Yes, sir?" he asked.

"Need your help with something. Remember me telling you about that PC who was watching us when Suzie revived that last guy?"

Ianto nodded.

"Well, she's outside. She's been hanging around the Plass for hours just walking around and I think she's figured out we're in here."

"What do you need me to do?" Ianto asked.

"I think she might try to bluff her way past you and I want you to play along with whatever she says and let her in. She's got dark hair, big hazel eyes and the cutest little gap between her front teeth."

Studiously ignoring Jack's fulsome description, Ianto nodded and said, "I saw her on the CCTV earlier." Then he asked, "Wait, let her in downstairs? Sir, do you think that's wise?"

Jack grinned. "Probably not, but she's pretty determined and I want to know what she's found out about us."

Still looking sceptical, Ianto nodded. "Whatever you need, sir."

Jack groaned and leant farther over the counter. "You really shouldn't say things like that, Ianto. Gives me all sorts of very naughty ideas." He winked and shoved his hands in his pockets as he headed back through the wall.

Ianto let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. _Damn, how does he do that?_ Ianto thought. Shaking his head he returned to his laptop, keeping an ear out for visitors. He had only composed a few more sentences when he heard the bell over the door ring.

He stepped through the curtain, a welcoming smile on his face. She fit Jack's description perfectly.

Before he could say anything, the woman began babbling nervously. "Oh, hiya, sorry I'm late. Someone ordered pizza?"

Ianto asked politely, "Who it for?"

"I think it's a… Mr. Harkness?"

Suppressing a grin at Jack being called 'mister,' Ianto pressed the button which secured the front door. He smiled at her gasp when the locks engaged and then pushed the blue button on the side of the counter to open the wall behind her. She stared at it apprehensively and Ianto wondered if she would lose her nerve. She glanced back at him and then stepped through the wall. She looked up and down the hallway behind the wall, unsure of where to go next. She looked at Ianto again and he tilted his head in the direction of the service lift.

"Don't keep 'em waiting," he admonished. She literally squared her shoulders, making Ianto chuckle, and then walked forward slowly.

After the PC had gotten in the lift, Ianto closed the wall and went back to his computer. He finished up the paragraph he had been working on and then took the stairs down to the Hub. 

When he arrived, Jack and the PC were nowhere to be seen. He quirked an eyebrow at Suzie and she replied with a nod to the cells. Ianto started tidying up the Hub, gathering up the day's coffee cups and emptying the trash. He had just begun to collect the filing out of everyone's outboxes when Jack brought the PC back upstairs and introduced her to the team. Ianto wrinkled his brow in confusion as he bent over to pick up a file that had slid off Owen's desk. _Why is Jack introducing her to everyone?_ he wondered. _He knows he's just going to have to Retcon her later._

Jack saved Ianto for last. "And this is Ianto Jones. Ianto cleans up after us and gets us everywhere on time."

Smarting a bit at that description of his duties, Ianto smiled and inclined his head. "I try my best."

"And he looks good in a suit," Jack added.

Raising his eyebrows, Ianto replied, "Careful, that's harassment, sir."

PC Cooper followed Jack asking, "Why are you telling me their names? I'm not supposed to know, am I? This is classified, isn't it?"

Jack laughed. "Way beyond classified." 

Ianto was working on the computer in Jack's office when the Captain started issuing the night's final orders.

"Okay! Tosh – finish that calibration tomorrow morning. Owen – first thing, get a hold of Chandler and Bell, 'cause I think they're lying. Ianto – if he needs backup, then you'd better be on standby. Suzie – I know it's a pain in the ass, but I need the costing on the glove research." Jack turned to the PC. "As for you – you're coming with me. This way."

Ianto watched as she followed Jack muttering, "I'm getting tired of following you."

Jack turned and gave her a look that could melt stone. "No, you're not. And you never will."

Grinning, Ianto finished up his tasks for the night as Jack led the PC to the invisible lift. Tosh, Owen and Suzie headed out for the evening but Ianto hung back, knowing Jack would need him when he finished with Ms. Cooper. With everyone gone, it was also the perfect time to check in on Lisa. Ianto tried not to dwell on the fact that he thought of Jack's needs first.

When Ianto reached the storeroom, he thought he heard someone moving around in Lisa's room. He opened the lock quickly and rushed inside, fearful of what he would find. His worry was unnecessary. The room was just the same as he had left it and Lisa was sleeping peacefully on her makeshift bed. He woke her with a kiss and smiled down at her.

"How are you today, love?" he asked gently.

"Alright, I guess." She sounded a little out of breath and Ianto glanced over at the monitors to make sure nothing serious was wrong, but all the readings were normal.

"Are you in pain? Do you need another shot?" he asked, slipping his hand into hers. She didn't squeeze his hand immediately like she usually did. "Lisa? Are you sure you're alright? Anything I can do, please just tell me."

Lisa sighed. "I'm fine Ianto, really. I'm just so tired."

"I'll get your shots ready then. You can have a nice long sleep." He smoothed a long finger down her cheek and she finally returned his smile. He crossed the room to the small refrigerator where they kept the painkillers and sedatives. He frowned, trying to find the packs of needles. Something seemed out of order but he couldn't put his finger on what. He glanced at his watch and dismissed his feelings of unease as nervousness about Jack's return. He had to hurry.

He gave Lisa her usual evening shot, kissed her and ran back to the upper levels. He had just settled in on the ancient sofa in the break area with a Dick Francis novel when he heard the door alarm. He looked up to see Jack striding in with a strange look on his face.

"Is it done, sir?" Ianto asked.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "Yeah, but… I don't know." He sighed heavily. When he saw the concerned look on Ianto's face he forced himself to smile. "We'll see, I guess. You all set to intercept if she tries to save anything on her computer?"

Ianto nodded. "Yes, sir. I took the liberty of using your computer to hack into her home network."

"That's my Ianto," Jack said. "Always one step ahead of me."

Ianto gave Jack a weak smile. "Shall I?" he asked.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, can't be helped."

They walked to Jack's office together and Ianto sat down at his desk to monitor the constable's computer activity. Jack hovered around the entrance to his sleeping quarters for a moment, hands in his pockets, shuffling his feet. He sighed deeply. 

"Sir?" 

Jack turned to Ianto. "Hmmm?" he replied.

"Are you okay?" Ianto asked.

Jack smiled that same fake smile from earlier. "Yeah… I think I'll head down to the shooting range for a bit. Need a distraction." 

Ianto nodded. Jack often did that. It was his version of meditation. 

Jack continued, dropping his voice into that smooth, lower register which did things to Ianto that he didn't like to think about. "You could join me after you do your stuff? If you like?"

Ianto's fingers jumped a bit on the keyboard. He cleared his throat. "I'd like to sir, but it's rather late…" 

Jack's face fell. "Yeah, I guess it is. Okay, then. I'll see you in the morning, Ianto."

"Good night, sir."

Jack gave him another long look and then turned to head downstairs. As soon as he was gone, Ianto relaxed. He scrubbed at his face with his hands, wondering how much longer he could keep doing this. He thought of his letter to Dr. Tanizaki. _Soon_ , he thought, _it will all be better soon._

The computer beeped and distracted him from his thoughts. He waited until the PC stopped typing for a long moment and then deleted her active file. He glanced at his watch and whistled under his breath. _Impressive – she lasted quite a bit longer than most_ , he mused. He turned off Jack's desk lamp and walked through the darkened Hub. He could hear the muffled sounds of Jack's Webley and realised that he couldn't risk going to Lisa's room with Jack in the shooting range. Almost relieved at the thought of getting to sleep in his own bed, Ianto locked up and headed for home.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we say goodbye to a team member...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Nine
> 
> Rating: R for this chapter   
> Warnings: A bit of bad language and references to 'off-screen' violence and character death
> 
> Spoilers: Everything Changes (1x1) and Cyberwoman (1x4) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for situations borrowed from Cyberwoman and to Russell T. Davies for dialogue and situations borrowed from Everything Changes. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Nine**

The next night, Ianto was in the Tourist Office reading the reply from Dr. Tanizaki. He was fascinated by Ianto's description of Lisa's condition and was more than willing to make the trip to Cardiff to see her. He was confident that his knowledge of the Cybermen technology would allow him to make an assessment of Lisa and determine how best to help cure her. Ianto frowned over the last paragraph which stated that if he wasn't able to help, Dr. Tanizaki hoped Ianto would permit him to take Lisa's body back to the Institute for further study, but he refused to consider the possibility of anything going wrong. He was elated and about to begin a reply when Jack burst through the front door.

"Ianto! Thank god you're still here. I need your help with her," he said, indicating PC Cooper. She was dazed, clearly in shock and only vertical because of Jack's strong arm around her.

Ianto came from behind the counter and Jack passed her unresisting body to him. "Get her downstairs. Are the others still here?"

Ianto shook his head.

"Shit," Jack growled. "Well, I think we can handle this for now." 

Hitching PC Cooper up a little, Ianto asked, "Handle what, sir? What's happened?"

Jack closed his eyes for a moment. "Suzie is dead."

"What?!"

"She shot herself. I couldn't stop her. **She** was the murderer we've been looking for, Ianto. She was using that knife. She killed three people just to practice with that damn glove. Gwen figured it out, broke through the Retcon. Suzie was about to kill us both… Suzie…" Jack's voice trailed off. He shook himself. "I've got her up on the invisible lift right now. If you'll get Gwen downstairs, I'll get Suzie down on the lift and we can… deal with her… with the body..." His voice broke at the end. Ianto wished he didn't have a half-conscious woman clinging to him. He wanted nothing more than to offer some comfort to his Captain.

"I'll take care of it, Jack," he said in a confident voice. "We'll meet you in the Hub in a minute." He gave Jack a small smile and then turned to take the constable downstairs.

"Ianto?" Jack called. Ianto turned to see Jack looking at him with an odd expression on his face.

"Yes, sir?"

"You called me Jack."

Ianto hitched up the constable's drooping body again. "Yes, sir." 

Jack just shook his head. "Never mind," he said but he smiled a bit, almost hesitantly.

Ianto returned the smile and headed downstairs. He settled the constable on the sofa and turned the kettle on. It was just beginning to whistle when Ianto heard the lift engage. He quickly prepared three strong mugs of tea, one with four scoops of sugar. He handed that one to the constable, wrapping both her hands around the mug and getting her to take a sip before he went to Jack.

Jack had wrapped a scarf or something around Suzie's head, mercifully covering her face. He was cradling her body in his arms and his look of grief made Ianto's stomach clench in sympathy. He tried to take the body from Jack but he shook his head and moved across the Hub to the medical bay. He laid Suzie's body on the table and pulled a sheet over her. He collapsed on Owen's nearby stool and bent over the bed, resting his head on his folded arms. Ianto moved behind him and put his hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack covered it with his own and just held on for a long moment.

He finally raised his head and took a deep breath. He squeezed Ianto's hand once and then stood up. 

"Thanks," he whispered. 

Ianto just nodded.

Jack cleared his throat. "I'm going to check on Gwen. I need you to call Owen and Tosh. Get them back in here, tell them what happened and..." Jack's voice dropped, growing harsher. "Tell them to bring whatever alien tech they've taken home to play with."

"Yes, sir," Ianto said. "I made you some tea if you'd like it."

Jack gave him a thin smile. "No, thanks, but I'll bet Gwen could use some."

"Already done, sir."

Jack reached out to grasp his shoulder. "That's my Ianto. Always one step ahead."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Owen was predictably nasty on the phone until Ianto managed to interrupt and tell him that Suzie was dead. Owen snapped, "I'm on my way," and then hung up, necessitating another call to issue Jack's order about any AWOL alien tech. Ianto could tell that Owen had taken something home but he wouldn't say what. The phone call to Tosh was easier and harder at the same time. Listening to Tosh, Ianto fought the urge to cry for the first time that night. He asked her if she'd taken any tech off the premises and she admitted to it right away. He soothed her best he could while she tried to do the same for him.

When they arrived at the Hub, Jack was still sitting with Gwen on the sofa. She was calmer now and Jack was answering her questions as he continued to make her drink her tea. Before Tosh or Owen could speak, Jack jerked his head at his office and the whole team, including Gwen, joined Ianto at the secure archives safe by Jack's desk. He had been packing up the Resurrection Glove and the knife Suzie had used in her killing spree. As they walked in, he finished tagging the box and moved it to the safe. 

Silently, Owen and Toshiko placed the items they'd taken on the desk. Gwen huddled in the corner, obviously unsure why she was there.

Everyone jumped when Jack finally spoke.

"Owen, the body is in the med bay. Get it prepped for storage, I want this over as soon as possible."

Owen nodded.

"Tosh, I need Suzie's records tidied up and archived. Ianto, these items need to get back into storage," Jack said, handing Ianto the tech Owen and Tosh had returned. "And if you could make some coffee?"

"Of course, sir," Ianto said as he headed out the door. He heard Owen and Tosh follow as Jack began to talk quietly with Gwen again.

Ianto brought Tosh a mug of coffee as soon as it was brewed. She was typing furiously, trying to find Suzie's records which had apparently been deleted, pausing now and then to wipe a tear from her cheek. Ianto set the coffee next to her and gave her a small smile. Tosh reached out to grab his hand and Ianto sat next to her for a moment, his arm around her narrow shoulders. She sniffed and wiped her face again. Giving Ianto a quick hug, she returned to the computer.

Owen was next. Ianto didn't really want to speak to the doctor, so he just set the mug of coffee on a table as far away from the body as possible and walked quickly back up the stairs. He glanced back to see Owen looking at him. He nodded his thanks to Ianto, pressed his mouth into a grim line and got back to work.

Ianto knocked quietly on Jack's open door before entering. Jack motioned for him to come in and took his coffee with a grateful sigh. Ianto turned to Gwen and said, "I didn't know if you wanted coffee or some more tea, so I brought both." He set the tray, complete with sugar, cream, honey, milk and lemon, on Jack's desk. "I also wasn't sure how you took either, so I just brought everything."

"Thank you," she said quietly, reaching for the mug of tea.

Ianto nodded and turned to Jack. "Is there anything else I can do, sir?"

"No, Ianto, but thanks. Go on home. I'll see you tomorrow."

Ianto wanted to protest. Surely there was something he could do to help, but Jack had already turned back to Gwen and Ianto didn't want to interrupt. He sighed quietly and left the room, heading back up to the Tourist Office. When he entered the drab little room he saw that he had left his laptop open on the counter with his email from Dr. Tanizaki still open. He leapt for the computer and slammed it shut. He knew with everything going on that night in the Hub that no one would have seen it, but the fact that he had been so careless terrified him.

He packed up his computer and locked up the Tourist Office behind him as he left. He slung his bag into his car but then found that he couldn't make himself get in. He slammed the door and walked back out onto the boardwalk. Hoping the long walk home would clear his head, Ianto set off for his flat. 

As he walked, he tried to figure out why Jack had dismissed him. Ianto wondered if he thought that Ianto was useless or if he didn't want Ianto there since he hadn't known Suzie for very long. _But he let that constable stay_ , a tiny voice in his head pointed out. Maybe Jack thought he was being kind letting Ianto leave, a reward of sorts for being the only one who hadn't taken tech out of the Hub. _And just why do you care?_ asked that annoying little voice again. _I don't_ , he told himself firmly and resolved to stop thinking about Torchwood for the rest of the walk.

Ianto strolled through several very nice neighbourhoods before he reached the dodgy part of town where he lived. _I should start looking for a new place_ , he thought as he noticed several flats to let. _Lisa should be able to come home to a nice, posh flat after she's cured, not that dump. After I email Dr. Tanizaki tomorrow morning, I'll start looking at flats._

Ianto finished his walk thinking happily of his future with Lisa for the first time since Canary Wharf.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Gwen Cooper joins the Torchwood team...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Ten
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Day One (1x2) and Cyberwoman (1x4) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for situations borrowed from Cyberwoman and Day One. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Ten**

 

"So what do you think?" Tosh asked Ianto the next morning.

Ianto looked up from the paper he had spread over the counter. "Think about what?" he asked.

"About Gwen."

"Who? Oh, wait, that constable. What about her?"

Tosh leant on the counter. "Jack's hired her to take… to join the team."

Ianto was surprised. "Really?" he asked. "When did all this happen?"

"Just now. Jack just came in and told us. I'm surprised he didn't ask you to come down to hear the news."

Ianto tried not to look hurt. "He probably figured you would tell me," he said stiffly.

"But still…" Tosh said. "Anyway, I'm just glad he hired another woman. This place is enough of a boy's club already." She smiled.

Ianto forced his lips into an answering smile and Tosh headed back down to the Hub. He flipped the paper angrily. He thought back over the last few days, trying to think of anything he could have done to make Jack think less of him. First sending him home the night before and then leaving him out of an important announcement. It seemed like Jack was unhappy with him all of a sudden, and yet, when he had slipped and called him by his name, Jack had seemed touched.

"Stupid," Ianto muttered, not sure if he meant Jack or himself. He folded up the paper and left it on the end of the counter and then stomped into his office. 

A little while later, he heard the wall swing open. 

"Ianto? You back there?"

Ianto kicked his desk peevishly then he stood up and went through the curtain to see Jack standing by the counter.

"Yes?" He left off the sir, wondering if Jack would even notice.

He did. His eyebrows raised in surprise, he asked, "Everything okay, Ianto?"

"Fine." He bit his tongue to keep from saying sir. "What can I do for you?"

There was wariness in Jack's blue eyes as he continued. "Well, I've offered Gwen Cooper a job. I told the others earlier, but I wanted to talk to you specifically because I was hoping you could get all the necessary paperwork started so it's ready when she comes in next week?" He finished in a rush, clearly ill at ease.

Ianto smiled, enjoying the sight of the confident Captain suddenly unsure of himself. "Of course, sir."

Jack relaxed and smiled as well, looking glad to hear the 'sir' again. "Thanks, Ianto. Did you get some sleep last night?"

Surprised at the inquiry, Ianto said, "Yes, sir. Thank you."

Jack rested his elbows on the counter. "Good, good. Look, I know you've been run ragged lately, you work too late, you look exhausted and you're too thin. You need to take care of yourself, we can't have you getting sick. Who would make the coffee?" he joked and they both laughed. Then Jack turned serious again. "But really... I do appreciate you being here last night to help with… everything."

Ianto leant forward, almost but not quite touching his forehead to Jack's. "Whatever you need, sir."

Jack closed his eyes, breathed in deeply and then sighed. "Thank you," he whispered. 

Ianto's stomach did that odd flip it always seemed to do when he got too close to Jack. He broke the moment by pulling back and snatching up a pile of brochures to straighten. Jack gave him a long, searching look and then stepped back and put his hands in his pockets. He smiled at Ianto and asked, "So, you'll be all set for Gwen when she starts?"

Ianto nodded, moving on to the next stack of brochures.

"Great. I guess I should get back to work then." Jack hesitated for a moment and then headed back through the wall.

Ianto pressed the button to close it as quickly as he could. _Get it together you stupid git_ , he thought to himself. He really had to get this foolish infatuation with the Captain out of his system or he didn't know what stupid thing he might do.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

All of Ianto's careful preparations for Gwen's first day were shot to hell when the meteor crashed. So Gwen's first day, well, first night, turned into a baptism by fire and she came out slightly charred.

Ianto had been sitting with Lisa after the team had left to investigate the meteor. Jack had hollered on his way out for Ianto to get a hold of Gwen so she could join them which Ianto did right away. After he'd completed that task, he turned on the tracker he still had active on the SUV and headed down to the storeroom. 

Lisa was in a foul mood that night. He had told her about reaching Tanizaki and about his willingness to fly to Cardiff, but hadn't been able to give her any updates for a few days and she was getting restless. Ianto tried to tell her about the new flat he'd found over the weekend but she wasn't interested. She kept asking him about the doctor – what had he said, how much did he know, how did he think he could help. He could hear the edge of panic in her voice and tried to calm her down.

"Lisa, shush now, it'll be fine. He'll come soon and then we can be together, just like we always planned, just like we always wanted."

"But **when**?"

"I don't know, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Ianto soothed, stroking her hand, her cheek, her stomach, wherever he could find skin to touch. "It'll be over soon. He'll come and he'll cure you and… and everything will go back to how it was."

She glared at him. "Do you really think that? Are you really that thick?"

Ianto drew back, stunned by the viciousness in her voice.

Her face crumpled and tears began to fall. "I'm sorry, Ianto, I don't know what I'm saying. Please forgive me?"

"Of course," he said instantly reaching for her. He pressed his lips to hers, once again squashing any feelings of doubt he had.

He'd stayed down in the storeroom with her until Jack contacted him on his comm. Jack told him that Gwen had accidentally cracked open the meteor and released some sort of alien gas into the atmosphere. 

Rolling his eyes, Ianto kissed Lisa goodbye and locked her in again. He paused outside the door to finish his conversation with Jack. He was distracted for a moment when he thought he heard movement in Lisa's room, but then Jack started yelling in his ear for everyone to "get back in the damn SUV." He had to shout at Jack several times before he realised he was deafening Ianto.

"Sorry about that," he said. Ianto could hear the SUV rev in the background. "We're heading back now. I need you to monitor the police and see if anything comes across that might be for us."

"Right, so keep an ear out for any sightings of alien gas –"

"No one likes a smartass, Ianto – even one as cute as yours. You know what we're looking for. We'll be there in fifteen minutes." 

Ianto cringed as he heard the tires squeal and Owen swear. "All in one piece, I hope, sir?"

He could hear Jack's grin through the comm. "No promises," he said and clicked off.

Ianto headed back up to the Hub and turned on the police band as he made a fresh pot of coffee. If Gwen had screwed up that royally he was sure everyone would need a cup.

As it turned out, they weren't in the Hub long enough to have a coffee. Ianto came across a suspicious 999 call shortly after they came in. Gwen was moaning about how sorry she was and Owen was giving her a hard time, as expected. Ianto thought for a moment that it might be nice to have another new person on the team, someone to deflect Owen's unwanted attentions from him. 

After hearing about the death that had come across on the police band, they'd all trooped out again, leaving him alone. It was too late, or too early, to head home so Ianto made sure his comm was on in case Jack needed him, and curled up on the sofa to try to get a bit of sleep while the team was out in the field. 

The coffee was more appreciated the next time around. With all of them working on no sleep to find a way to extract the alien gas from the innocent girl it had possessed, Ianto kept them fuelled on caffeine and pastries. He finally was able to convince them to eat a real meal mid-afternoon by the simple expedient of ordering it and having it delivered. He hesitated over whether or not they would need to feed the girl currently locked in the cells, and ended up ordering extra portions just in case. After he'd ordered the food, Jack caught him and asked Ianto to make sure the computers were running full scans on their captive victim of the alien gas. Feeling really useful for the first time that day, Ianto gladly did as he asked.

When he returned to the Hub with a large tray of food, he found Jack breaking up a tense moment between Gwen and Owen who looked like they were about to come to blows.

"So, who's for Chinese?" he asked brightly.

They all retired to the conference room and dug into the food while Jack started regaling Gwen with tales of other alien encounters. Ianto realised that he actually felt like part of the team for once, joining in the conversation and laughing along with the others. Ianto was curious if Gwen would be treated to the same third degree about Jack that he's been subjected to on his third day. Predictably, as soon as Jack left the room to go to the loo, Owen and Tosh turned on Gwen to pump her for information.

They touched her opinion on his sexuality first – Gwen thought he was straight, Owen still thought he was gay, Tosh still thought he was straight or maybe bi, and Ianto still stuck with the response he had given them at the start: "I don't care." He noticed that Gwen was a bit smitten with the enigmatic Captain. He was surprised at the twinge of jealousy he felt when he thought about it. _Stupid, stupid_ , he told himself. It was becoming a bit of a mantra with him recently. Maybe if he said it often enough it would start to sink in.

When Jack returned to the table, Gwen's guilt seemed to return with him.

"What are we doing having Chinese while a girl fights for her life?" she asked.

Jack spoke up first. "Actually, while we've been eating, the computers have been running a full bio-scan on Carys, profiling her blood, metabolism, organs, skin, the works. So we can see what effect the alien's having on her. They've also been taking samples of the air in the cell so we can analyse any changes in the environment around her. Now, is that enough? Do you want more? 'Cause, uh, it gets kinda boring."

Ianto expected that Jack's list would make Gwen feel better, but he was wrong. She smiled patronisingly and told them all that they'd lost what it meant to be human. _Pretty big accusation for someone who's been here_ , he glanced at his watch, _about eighteen hours_. He waited to see what Jack would make of her observation and was unsurprised when he retaliated with a challenge. 

"So remind us. Tell me what it means to be human in the 21st Century."

Ianto hid a smile. _Pretty big challenge._

Gwen's comments put an end to the meal. Everyone got back to work while Ianto cleaned up the conference room. He checked in with Jack to see if he needed anything and then returned to the Tourist Office. As soon as he was in the back office, he opened up his laptop to see if Dr. Tanizaki had replied to his last email. He was not disappointed. The doctor was able to give him a maximum of four days at the end of the month. Ianto responded immediately. He explained their circumstances and stressed the need for the doctor's patience once he arrived. Ianto would only be able to get him into the Hub if the rest of the team were out on assignment. He hit send and prayed that Dr. Tanizaki understood and was willing to work around the Torchwood team. The last thing he needed was for the doctor to contact Jack directly to ask for unfettered access to Lisa.

After he sent the email, he returned to the computer at the counter, flipping idly between CCTV feeds, partially to see what everyone else was doing and partially to keep himself from compulsively hitting the Check Mail button on his laptop. He was watching, therefore, when Carys made her break for freedom. 

When the service lift hit the ground floor, it triggered the hidden wall. Ianto approached it as it swung open, intending to stop Carys when she came through. But she was carrying the hand in the jar and it threw him off for a moment. A few seconds later, Jack came bursting through the door, gun drawn.

"Need me to do any attacking, sir?" Ianto asked politely.

Not taking his eyes off the girl – _or was it the hand_ , Ianto wondered – Jack holstered his gun and said, "Appreciate the offer. Just open the door."

Frowning, Ianto released the lock on the front door.

"Now give me the jar," Jack said and reached out to Carys.

She looked at the door and looked at Jack and then threw the jar over the counter where it smashed on the wooden floor. She bolted for the outside door as Jack leapt over the counter with a cry. He sounded so heartbroken that Ianto was torn for a moment, whether to give chase or help Jack. That moment was all it took for Carys to get away.

_Stupid, stupid_ , Ianto thought again and moved to clean up the mess Carys had left behind.

When the team had gone out again, following up on an idea that Tosh had, Ianto headed straight for the basement and Lisa's secret room. He told her that Dr. Tanizaki would be in Cardiff in less than three weeks. She was overjoyed and they spent the rest of the evening talking and planning. She asked to hear all about the new flat and even made fun of Ianto for stressing over what colour to paint the walls. When she got tired, Ianto gave her the evening round of shots and kissed her goodnight.

Once he had locked the door, he sagged against it for a moment, bowing his head in grateful thanks. To hear Lisa laugh again, to see her smile and tease him, it made **everything** worthwhile. He returned to the Hub to catch up on some sleep on the lumpy sofa with a smile on his face. Jack and the others would catch the alien and save Carys. Lisa would be cured and they would be together. With these happy thoughts floating through his mind, Ianto fell asleep.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Dr. Tanizaki arrives in Cardiff...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Eleven
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for situations borrowed from Cyberwoman. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Eleven**

Ianto could never really remember the next few weeks. They passed in a haze of anticipation and dread: eagerness for the arrival of Dr. Tanizaki and terror that someone would discover Lisa before he got there. Ianto stopped eating altogether unless other people were present and even then he took the smallest bites possible just to escape comments and questions. He slept in snatches, mostly on the sofa in the break area or on his chair in Lisa's room. His new flat was ready and waiting for the day he would bring Lisa home, but he couldn't bring himself to stay there without her.

He worked extra hard to keep up appearances around the team. He laughed at Owen's bad jokes, gossiped with the girls, brought coffee to Jack before he could ask. On the outside he was the usual, calm, efficient Ianto, but on the inside he was an absolute wreck. He spent as much time as he could in the Tourist Office or down in the archives. When he was alone, he could relax slightly, enough to quiet his mind, keep it from thinking about what would happen to Lisa if something went wrong, what would happen to him.

Jack was the only one who noticed Ianto's discomfort. Clever, observant Jack who seemed more in tune to Ianto than anyone else on the team. He stopped him in the hall to the cells one day as Ianto was going down to feed the weevils.

"How are you, Ianto?" he asked, concern clearly written across his features.

"Fine, sir. How are you?"

Jack frowned. "Knock it off, I'm being serious here. You don't look good."

Ianto straightened his tie a bit. "I apologise for the suit, sir. It's laundry day."

"That's not what I mean and you know it. Are you okay?"

Trying to look suitably embarrassed, Ianto confessed, "I've had a bit of a stomach bug lately. Just makes things a bit uncomfortable."

Jack grimaced in sympathy. "Well, that's good." Ianto snorted and Jack hurriedly added, "Not that you're sick! Just that that's all that's bothering you. You can always take a few days off if you need it, you know."

Ianto nodded. "If you'll excuse me, sir?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Jack moved out of Ianto's way and he continued to the cells. He fed the weevils quickly, trying not to breathe in the stench of the weevil chow, as Owen called the disgusting mix of overripe vegetables and slightly spoiled meat they seemed to prefer. Although he considered that if he looked as green as he felt, it would add an air of truth to his lie about being ill. 

The rift had been quiet for days and Ianto was starting to worry that when Dr. Tanizaki arrived, the team wouldn't ever leave the Hub. He began to bite his nails, a bad habit left over from stressful days at school. He wondered if he dared give Tanizaki the codes to the Hub. If he could lure Jack out for an evening drink or dinner or **something** then the doctor could use the codes to get to Lisa. But the thought of allowing an outsider free access to Torchwood made Ianto feel even more sick than usual. He would just have to cross his fingers and pray.

He suffered through two days of agony after Dr. Tanizaki arrived in Cardiff. Ianto had gotten him a room at the St. David's Hotel and begged him to be patient. He assured the doctor that he would call the minute the team left the Hub for any period of time. Finally, on the third day of the doctor's promised four, Ianto got his chance.

He came down from the Tourist Office a little after six to find the team engaged in a bizarre basketball game. Ianto tried to make himself as invisible as possible, fearful that they would ask him to join in. But the game was quickly won by Owen and apparently the forfeit was drinks at the pub. Jack tossed him the ball as they left, but other than that no one even looked his way.

The second they were gone, Ianto phoned Tanizaki. He then made his usual call to the pizza place, just in case Jack checked up on him or the team came back unexpectedly. He even joked with the guy on the phone about Jack getting after him for not eating his vegetables. He buzzed the doctor in from down in the Hub when he arrived at the Tourist Office and went to greet him at the door.

This was the moment Ianto had been working towards from the time Torchwood Tower burned. This was the man who could put it all right again. 

This was it.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto's secret is discovered...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Twelve
> 
> Rating: R for this chapter   
> Warnings: References to past violence
> 
> Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for situations and dialogue borrowed from Cyberwoman. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Twelve**

Ianto could barely hold the key still long enough to fit it in the lock. Once he had won the fight with the stiff deadbolt, he removed the key and tried to open the door. His hands were shaking so badly that he had to tuck the box he was holding under his arm and use both hands to turn the knob. He noticed that he'd left a smear of blood on the brass and made a mental note to clean it. _Later_ , he thought as he pushed his way inside.

The flat smelled stale. It was to be expected since he hadn't spent any time there since he'd leased it. He forced himself to close the door and lock it behind him. Although if Jack wanted in, Ianto didn't think a measly deadbolt would stop him. _Jack_ Ianto shook his head. He didn't want to think about Jack. He didn't want to think about anything.

Ianto took a few steps into the main room of the flat. Each one was agony, pulling at bruises and strains. He looked down at the box in his hands. _Lisa_ He took another step, but his abused body gave out on him and he crumpled to the floor. He fell to his hands and knees and stayed there for a moment, panting with the pain. He caught a glimpse of his bloody hands against the stark white of the rug. With a cry of despair he fell back and bashed his head on the edge of the coffee table. The room spun before him and he prayed he would black out. 

He didn't.

He noticed the box he had carried from the Hub. It had fallen when he did and was resting a few feet away from him. He crawled over to it and clutched it to his chest. _Lisa_ He felt the sob begin somewhere deep inside him, but he knew if he let it out he would never be able to stop. Gasping with the effort, he pulled himself upright and staggered to the bathroom. Just like the night after the attack on Canary Wharf, he dragged his bloody, battered body into the shower. He set the box on the toilet lid and then slid the shower door closed. Still fully clothed, he reached for the handle and turned the water on full blast. It was cold for quite some time but Ianto didn't care. He stood under the spray, letting it beat down on his head as he watched the blood swirl on the tile, dancing in sinuous lines to the drain.

When the water finally began to warm, he slowly stripped off his sodden suit. He kept his eyes fixed on the wall as he took off his clothes, unable to close them for fear of what he would see. _Lisa Blood Doctor Monster Death Gun Jack_

"Oh God, Jack," he groaned and then bit his tongue. It was too soon for talking, too soon for thinking. But it was also too late. With an anguished groan, Ianto sank to the floor of the shower and drew his knees up, wrapping his arms around his legs. The sobs he'd fought earlier started to rise and this time he couldn't beat them back. He dropped his head to his knees and felt the tears begin again.

When he closed his eyes, he was instantly assaulted with visions of the Hub. _Lisa, smiling, able to breathe on her own, somehow strong enough to walk The doctor, dead on the floor, his body corrupted with metal implants Gwen, screaming as the blades descended, blades I didn't put there, strapped to the table by Lisa Not Lisa Not **my** Lisa_ Ianto shook his head, his mouth forming the word 'no' over and over again around his sobs. _Jack with his gun at my head, on my knees with a gun at my head For Lisa Jack Confusion and hurt in Tosh's eyes Fear in Owen's Lisa's strange voice No, **not** Lisa But still Lisa I try, I try to reach her, to remind her That voice That cold voice Not Lisa Saying awful things Reaching for me Reaching for me_

Ianto curled into himself even tighter. The water was too hot now, scalding his back and his neck but he couldn't move. He couldn't remember anything after that. Not until Jack. _Jack Jack's arms around me Jack's mouth Jack's hand at my throat, caressing not crushing Not like I deserve Jack So close, his eyes, his mouth, his arms_

_Lisa again Lisa screaming and Jack holding her off, pushing me on the lift, Owen's arms holding me back_ "I tried, I tried," Ianto sobbed out loud, his voice bouncing back at him off the tiles, echoing. "I'm so sorry, I tried… sorry… tried." _The screaming Myfanwy's screams Lisa screams My screams_

"Nonononononono," Ianto muttered. He rocked side to side, hitting his head against the hard tile of the shower wall with every 'no' that fell from his lips. The images were coming too fast to make sense of them anymore _Cold air Fury The feel of Jack's jaw against my fist Running The gun Pointing it at God, the gun Jack's gun in my face Again Jack Execute Monster Kill KILL_

The hot water had run out. Ianto was freezing, his teeth chattering against his knees, his body racked with sobs and shuddering with cold. "LISA!" he screamed. He saw her again, lying in a pool of blood. _My Lisa My beautiful Lisa Gone Forever gone The lies all for nothing Jack All for nothing And then that voice Saying my name Not Lisa NOT LISA!_

"NO!" The word exploded from him. He raised his head, the icy sting of the water on his face bringing him back to the present. He was freezing. Relaxing stiffened muscles with difficulty, he slowly uncurled and stood up. He turned off the water and grabbed one of the towels just outside the shower, wrapping it around his waist. When he stepped out of the shower, he saw the other towel _Lisa's towel_ on the bar. He had purchased all new accessories for the bath and the bedroom, wanting the flat to be perfect when Lisa came home. _Lisa_ Slowly he reached out a hand for the second towel. He brought it to his face and used it to wipe the tears that were still flowing. Sighing, he threw it over his shoulders for warmth as he padded over to the sink.

He peeled the plastic off the brand new bar of rose scented soap _Lisa's favourite_ with shaking hands. He searched around in a drawer for a moment until he found a nail brush. He lathered it up, almost choking on the smell of roses, and used it to clean the blood and ash from under and around his nails. He painstakingly avoided his reflection in the mirror, concentrating on one finger at a time. When his hands were finally clean _Lisa_ he threw away the brush. He knew he'd never be able to touch it again. He threw the soap in the bin as well.

He dropped the towels on the floor _who's to care?_ and pulled his dressing gown from the hook on the back of the door. He tied it carefully, not wanting to put pressure on the bruises covering his torso and his possibly cracked ribs. Owen had wanted to look at him before he left, but Ianto wouldn't let anyone touch him. After he was finished _God, the blood_ cleaning up the storeroom _scrubbing at the bloodstains on my hands and knees_

Ianto barely made it to the toilet as his stomach rebelled at the memory of Jack standing over him, watching him clean the blood from the stone floor, rubbing his face in his transgressions like a dog. After his body stopped heaving, he fell back on the floor, breathing heavily. _Jack God, Jack I'm so sorry so sorry_ He didn't think that sorry would be enough. He was sure that at any moment, Jack would burst through his front door with a dose of Retcon strong enough to send him back to puberty. And that was the best case scenario. Worst case? A bullet with his name on it.

Sighing, Ianto wiped the tears from his face again. He felt like he'd been crying for days. _Had it really only been seven hours ago that Lisa smiled?_ Life could turn on the edge of a knife. Ianto knew this, had lived through it before. _And yet I'm so colossally stupid that it always takes me by surprise._ He sighed heavily again. He hauled himself to his feet, grabbing the small box which had fallen on the floor in his dash for the toilet. He hugged it to his chest for a moment and then walked out of the bathroom.

He stood in the bedroom for a moment, staring blankly at the bed. _New sheets New duvet New pillows Nothing left of Lisa Nothing left_ He walked slowly over to the dressing table and took out a pair of soft flannel pyjama bottoms and a fleecy sweatshirt. He pulled them on, grimacing when he stretched a particularly sore muscle or dragged the fabric over a scrape or bruise. 

He walked slowly into the kitchen, still clasping the box in his arms. He flinched when he turned on the bright, overhead light. Jack had dragged him under a bright light when he was done cleaning. Ianto set the box down and grasped the edge of the table as he bent over, keening as another memory overwhelmed him. 

He dug his nails into the wood, remembering Jack pulling him close, his hands knotted in Ianto's lapels. _Get rid of the body I'll deal with the doctor and the pizza girl Annie, her name is Annie I'm sorry I'm sorry Jack shaking him Get rid of the body_ Ianto breathed deeply, fighting the urge to pass out. _Get rid of the body Lisa the body_ He dropped into the chair and buried his face in his hands. 

He had taken her, lifting her gently from the life support bed where she had lain all those months. He had taken her, crying quietly, the gut-wrenching sobs having subsided in Jack's presence. He had taken her to the small room at the back of the morgue. The room where they dealt with alien remains too decimated to be of use, too dangerous to leave lying around for the bin-men. He had held her for a long moment, pressing his cheek to hers, his tears falling onto her face. Then he had kissed her, one last time. He had whispered, "Goodbye, my love," and then laid her gently in the casket shaped box. He had reached in and closed her eyes. He had placed the lid on the box and turned on the machine. He had fled the room while the machine was running, unable to stand there and listen as she burned. 

"Oh, God," he moaned, half exclamation, half heart-felt prayer. Ianto scrubbed his face with both hands and pushed the chair back from the table. He placed a hand on top of the box _Lisa_ and then stumbled over to the counter. He went through the motions of making coffee, not because he wanted a drink, but because the movements were soothing. For nine and a half minutes his mind was blissfully blank as he watched his hands fill the kettle, plug it in, measure the beans, grind them, fill the press, pour the water. At the end of it all, he had his usual perfectly brewed coffee. He grabbed a mug and filled it, just for something else to do, but he couldn't bring himself to drink it. _First cup of coffee after Lisa died_ , he thought. He looked at it for a long moment and then picked up the mug and hurled it against the wall. It shattered with such a gratifying crash that he moved into the dining area. 

Ianto was greeted with the pathetic sight of the dinner table set for two. The wine glasses were first, but their delicate tinkle against the exposed brick of the wall didn't satisfy. The plates and chargers made a much better crash as they joined the glasses. The vase of flowers was the pièce de résistance. It exploded, showering the floor with tiny shards of glass. 

He turned and continued through to the living room, smashing picture frames, trinkets, anything that reminded him of Lisa. He tore her favourite Renoir print off the wall and slammed it repeatedly on the coffee table until the thick glass finally splintered. He was still holding the pieces of the frame when the front door crashed in.

He'd been right. The deadbolt didn't stop Jack.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack and Ianto discuss the events surrounding Lisa's death...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Thirteen
> 
> Rating: R for this chapter   
> Warnings: References to past violence and some swearing
> 
> Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for situations and dialogue borrowed from Cyberwoman. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Thirteen**

They stood motionless for a moment, each man frozen in place. Jack – a wide-legged stance, gun drawn and pointed at Ianto. Ianto – mouth hanging open, holding the sides of the broken picture frame.

Jack moved first, quickly aiming his Webley safely at the ceiling. He holstered the gun as he watched Ianto who was still just standing there. Looking uncomfortable, Jack spoke. "I heard a crashing sound and I thought… well, I don't really know what I thought but it didn't sound good."

Ianto just stared at him.

Jack closed the damaged door best he could and stepped cautiously into the room. Ianto finally moved, tossing the remains of the picture frame to the side. He stood up straight and faced Jack. With a bravado that he didn't feel, he asked, "Have you decided then?"

"Decided what?" 

"What… what you're going to do to me," Ianto replied trying not to sound frightened.

"No," Jack said abruptly. "Sit down."

Ianto frowned. "Thank you, sir, but I prefer to stand."

"Dammit, Ianto, just – " Jack took a few paces towards Ianto who tried to step back but hit the edge of the sofa and stumbled. Jack threw up his hands. "Fine! Stand there." He dropped into the closest chair, sprawling over it in his normal fashion. He glared up at Ianto. "I have a few questions I need answered."

Ianto nodded.

"I'm gonna skip over the big questions like 'what the fuck did you think you were doing' and go with some specifics."

Ianto nodded again.

Jack reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small bottle. He set it on the coffee table, carefully avoiding the broken glass strewn across it. "What's that?"

Ianto looked down. "It's the morphine I was giving… her for the pain."

Jack steepled his fingers, tapping them against his lips as he contemplated Ianto. He shook his head. "No, it's not."

"What?" Ianto asked. He reached down to grab the bottle. He turned it over carefully in his hands. It was the exact bottle he'd been using. "Yes, this is the morphine I took from Torchwood One."

Jack shook his head again. He pointed at the bottle and said, "That is a bottle with a morphine label. Owen was cleaning up the medical supplies in your little basement hideaway after you left." Jack's hand returned to his mouth, absentmindedly pulling at the cut on his lip. 

Ianto cringed, remembering how it got there. 

Jack continued. "Owen was cleaning those up and noticed that the seal on one of the bottles looked broken. So he did a quick analysis, didn't want to be adding drugs that had been tampered with to our stores. Turns out every bottle of 'morphine' in your fridge was opened, emptied and refilled with a mixture of adrenaline and methandrostenolone."

"What's that?"

Jack looked oddly pleased. "Well, that answers my next question. It's a steroid, used by bodybuilders until it was banned years ago. We have – no, make that **had** some in the Hub drugs stores, been there for ages. Owen checked, it's all gone missing."

Ianto sat down suddenly, almost missing the edge of the sofa. "You mean… she… you mean she was…"

"Yes," Jack said harshly. "My next question was going to be whether **you** were dosing her but given your response, I going to give you the benefit of the doubt."

Ianto leant forward to grip the edge of the coffee table. "I had no idea! I thought it was morphine! She was always in so much pain…"

Jack eyed Ianto's hands, so close to the broken glass and spoke carefully. "I'm sure she was, Ianto. I think the cybernetics were slowly taking her over, bit by bit, until they finally won."

Ianto bowed his head and tried to breathe.

"Next question," Jack said. "When you were constructing the conversion unit –"

"Life support!" Ianto lifted his head to meet Jack's eyes. "It was only supposed to be a life support system. I never meant to hurt anyone."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Then why include the conversion instruments at all?"

"I… I didn't. L– **she** told me what pieces to look for, which parts to use. I didn't know those things were there until I saw them tonight."

Jack looked sceptical.

"You have to believe me!" Ianto cried, gripping the coffee table harder.

"No, I don't!" Jack yelled. He sprang up from his chair and started to pace. "I don't have to believe a word that comes out of your pretty little mouth. You betrayed me, Ianto. You **played** me. From the moment I met you, you've done nothing but lie to me!"

Ianto cringed, tears beginning to fall again. "I had to! I had to try to save – "

"Yeah, yeah, I heard it all in the Hub. I still haven't heard why you didn't just come talk to me about her in the first place. I thought you trusted me. I could have helped you –"

Furious again, Ianto stood up. "Helped? How, Jack? How would **you** have helped **her**?"

Jack paused for a moment and then said, very quietly, "I would have made it quick."

Ianto closed his eyes, his suffering written plainly across his face. "I had to try."

"And two innocent people paid with their lives."

Ianto crumpled back onto the sofa, burying his face in his hands. "I know," he whispered. When he looked up again, Jack stared at him in horror. Before he could ask what was wrong, Jack had stepped over to him and grabbed his hands, turning them palms up. The glass from the table had sliced his palms in at least five separate places and Ianto knew his face must be covered in blood as well. Jack dragged Ianto up off the sofa and through the flat, following the path of destruction. 

In the kitchen, Jack ran the tap and forced Ianto's hands under the cold water. He hissed in pain as Jack checked the cuts to make sure there wasn't any glass stuck in the wounds. He found a clean towel and wrapped it around Ianto's hands. He grabbed a second towel and held it under the water for a moment. Then he turned to Ianto and began to clean the blood off his face. 

Ianto stood stock still under Jack's ministrations, unable to believe Jack was still willing to be this close to him. When Jack had finished, he took Ianto's chin between his fingers and turned his head to the left and to the right, making sure he'd gotten all the blood off. Satisfied, he threw the towel in the sink and turned to go. 

The box on the table caught his eye. Jack knew those boxes, of course – there was a room in the Hub that was lined with them, all neatly labelled. He sighed and reached for the box of ashes but Ianto leapt in front of him and snatched it up, holding it to his chest.

A defiant look on his face even as his eyes filled again, Ianto said quietly, "You can't file her away, Jack. If it means I'm fired, or Retconned, or… or killed, then so be it. I'm going to put her to rest."

Jack looked at him for a moment and then nodded.

He walked back into the living room and Ianto followed. Jack had his hand on the doorknob before he spoke again, looking at the door and not at Ianto. "You're suspended. I... we both need some time. I'll check on you in a few weeks." He nodded towards the box in Ianto's arms. "Say your goodbyes. Decide what you want. I'll do the same." Then, with another brief nod, he left.

Ianto's legs gave out the moment the door shut. He sat on the floor, still holding Lisa's ashes, listening for the sound of the SUV's engine. When he heard it fade into the distance, he felt all the tension in his body fade with it. Jack wasn't going to shoot him. He wasn't even going to take his memories of Torchwood and the team… and him. _Suspended until further notice_ , Ianto thought. _Think about what I want._ He looked at the box. 

_Say goodbye._


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto starts to deal with everything...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Fourteen
> 
> Rating: R for this chapter   
> Warnings: Disturbing and violent dreams, and some swearing
> 
> Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for situations borrowed from Cyberwoman. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Fourteen**

Ianto's internal clock woke him promptly at 6:30 in the morning. He rolled over and caught himself just before he fell on the floor. He rubbed his eyes which were grainy with lack of sleep and tried to figure out why he was sleeping on the sofa. He glanced at his watch and sat up quickly. _I'm going to be late_ , he thought, frantically trying to extricate himself from the quilt tangled around his legs. 

Then he remembered.

He wasn't going to be late. He didn't have anywhere to go. He was suspended.

And then he remembered why.

With a groan, he fell back onto the sofa, pressing his face into the cushions. _Lisa_ , he thought, her name sending waves of pain through him. _Jack_ , he thought and felt more of the same. He burrowed as far into the cushions as possible and pulled the quilt over his head. With hot tears soaking the pillow, he drifted off to sleep again. 

When Ianto woke the second time, it was early evening. He'd slept for almost twelve hours straight but didn't feel particularly well-rested. He stretched and looked around the flat blearily. He was definitely not ready to deal with the mess he'd made the night before. Wrapping the quilt around his shoulders, he walked carefully to the kitchen and stood in the doorway. The idea of food made his stomach churn so he turned away and stumbled to the bedroom instead. _Sleep_ , he thought. He shoved the extra pillows on the floor and crept between the sheets with the quilt still around his shoulders. Shivering despite the layers, he buried his face in the pillow and was asleep in seconds.

For the next four days, Ianto slept. He would wake up every few hours and crawl out of bed long enough to take a piss or to grab a glass of water. He couldn't face the thought of food and he couldn't bring himself to touch the chaos in the rest of the flat. For four days he padded between the bedroom and the bathroom, lost in a haze of misery. At first, while he slept, he dreamt of Lisa. Some dreams would wake him immediately and he would find himself sitting up in bed, his throat raw from screaming. Other dreams were more insidious, torturing him for what felt like hours before he was able to free himself.

After a while, he began to dream of Jack as well. These dreams were always more frightening. He would wake in a cold sweat, afraid to move for fear he'd be discovered. He would lay in the bed, shuddering with terror until he calmed down enough to fall back asleep. 

The Jack in his dreams was always the same – he was charming and flirtatious, he would tease Ianto and brush up against him as he passed. But then the accidental brushes would become more forceful, a playful pat on the back would turn into a shove, a cheeky slap on the arse would sting and burn. Soon dream-Jack's eyes would grow cold, turning from their usual blue to the colour of steel and ice. 

Then Ianto would try to hide, curling himself into a ball under the covers as his dreamself found tiny closets and nooks in the Hub to hide in. But dream-Jack always found him, ripping him from his hiding place and dragging him to the basement storeroom. Once there, dream-Jack would shake him, slap him, punch him, force him against the cold stone wall and hold him there, captive. 

Then dream-Jack would start to talk. He would whisper in Ianto's ear, telling him he was a liar, a cheat, a waste of space, a worthless piece of shit. And Ianto would believe him. He would cry and ask for forgiveness but dream-Jack would just keep talking as he pressed Ianto's face into the stone. Ianto would feel his skull start to crack from the pressure. While his dreamself cried for mercy, Ianto would clutch at his head, writhing in agony as he felt stone against skin, against bone. He would feel his skull splinter as dream-Jack pressed harder and harder and then he would hear the laugh. A cold, heartless, mirthless sound that would drag him screaming into consciousness.

He was sitting up in bed after one such dream, panting and holding his head between both hands, trying to reassure himself it was still in one piece, when he heard an insistent knocking his front door. He screwed his eyes shut and tried to block out the sound, but whoever was at the door just kept knocking. Cursing, Ianto threw back the covers and staggered to the door on unsteady legs. He hissed in pain as he grabbed the doorknob with his injured hands. He had to yank on the knob with all his strength to pull the damaged door free of the frame. When it was open, he saw the postman.

"What?" he said ungraciously.

"Package won't fit through your letterbox," the postman said, waving a large parcel at him.

Ianto grabbed the packet. It was addressed to J. Smith. "This isn't mine," he said shoving it at the postman.

"S'got your address on it," he said, shoving it back.

"Yes, but I'm not J. Smith. It's not mine," Ianto insisted, refusing to take the parcel back.

"Mebbe they spelled it wrong?"

"If someone tried to spell Ianto Jones and came up with J. Smith then I don't want whatever it is they're sending anyway. Thanks," Ianto said and tried to shut the door.

The postman stood on the front step and watched with interest as Ianto wrestled with the door. "S'broken, innit? Should have that looked at."

"Yes, thank you," Ianto said through clenched teeth.

The postman gave him a wide grin and then headed for the next flat's entrance, whistling. Ianto stepped out of the flat to look at the door from the outside. There was no way he'd be able to repair it on his own, he'd have to call someone. He sighed, noticing the streak of blood on the doorknob, now dried to a rusty brown. _Lisa's blood_ , he thought as he reached a long finger out to trace the mark. It was raining again. He stepped out from under the eaves and lifted his face into the drizzle for a long moment before he realised that he felt awake. Actually awake for the first time in days. He caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye and looked to see what it was. He frowned. He'd been sure there was someone standing on the corner across the street, but no one was there now. Shaking his head, he walked back into the flat and used his full body weight to ram the door closed. 

As soon as it was shut, he felt trapped. The air was stale and close and he felt like he couldn't breathe. The flat which had been his sanctuary a moment before had suddenly become oppressive. He opened all the windows in the front room and then walked back to the kitchen to do the same. He stood for a moment, leaning over the kitchen sink, breathing in the rain-washed air drifting in through the window. He realised his arms were shaking with the effort of holding himself up and knew that he had to eat something soon.

He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a loaf of bread and a small block of mild cheese. Moving very slowly, he cut the cheese into slices and placed them on a piece of bread. He folded the slice over and raised it to his lips, waiting for his stomach to protest. When it didn't, he took a cautious bite. He chewed deliberately, giving his body plenty of time to object to the food. When it seemed safe, he swallowed and waited for the nausea to hit him. His stomach growled, but in a way Ianto hadn't heard for months. He continued to chew and swallow slowly. After he'd finished the makeshift sandwich, he made another. And another, until the cheese was gone and then he just ate bread. 

He sat on the floor as he ate, looking around the kitchen and the dining area through the doorway. _God, what a mess_ , he thought. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to get the coffee stain off the pale yellow wall in the kitchen. _I'll have to paint it before I move out_ , he thought and then froze, a piece of bread halfway to his mouth. He hadn't actually considered moving before that very moment but it seemed that some part of him had already made up its mind. He tested the idea much like he had tested the cheese sandwich. It felt right. He didn't want to stay here alone, without Lisa. 

Jack's words from the other night floated across his mind. _Decide what you want._ He didn't want to stay in this flat. Did he want to stay in Cardiff at all? Did he want to go back to Torchwood? Wouldn't it be easier to just pick up and start over somewhere else? _Yes_ , he thought, _it would be easier, no question_. But he thought back to his first day at Torchwood, how happy he'd been and how right it felt to be there. He remembered his regret that he couldn't enjoy the feeling because it was all a lie. _What would it be like to go back and have it all be true, be real?_ He wanted to know. He **needed** to know.

"Well," he said out loud. "That was a very productive cheese sandwich." He reached an arm up to the counter to pull himself off the floor and realised that he was absolutely manky.

"Shower," he said out loud, trying to get used to hearing his own voice again. "Shower then plan."

On his way to the bathroom, Ianto grabbed a few old towels out of the linen closet. He kicked his ruined suit and the new towels he had bought for Lisa into a pile in the corner of the bathroom knowing they would end up in the bin with the broken glasses and plates from the dining room. 

He put some toothpaste on his toothbrush and stepped into the steaming shower. He brushed his teeth as the hot water rushed over his aching body, loosening muscles cramped with inactivity. He let it run over his back as he stretched and turned. After he'd cleaned the fuzziness from his teeth, he started on the rest of his body. He washed his hair first, lathering it up three times before it felt clean. He grabbed the loofah he'd bought for Lisa and poured a generous amount of soap on it. He scoured his body with punishing strokes. He'd always laughed at Lisa and her loofahs. He could never understand what was wrong with a good old-fashioned flannel. He smiled, thinking of her chucking the loofah at him once in annoyance. He'd gotten a face full of rose scented bubbles and had just laughed, pulling her to him, her soapy body sliding along his, a perfect fit. 

Ianto fell against the wall of the shower, trying to breathe through the hot rush of tears suddenly pouring down his face. _Lisa_ Her name was a sharp twist in his belly. He pressed his hands against the wall, cooling his heated face against the tile. He forced himself to take deep breaths, trying to keep his cheese sandwiches down where they belonged. After a few minutes he started to feel better. At least he didn't feel like he was going to vomit anymore. He finished the shower quickly and headed to the bedroom to get dressed.

He pulled on a pair of jeans, an old grey t-shirt and some beat-up trainers with an eye on cleaning up the flat. He started in the kitchen, cleaning off the wall best as he could. He'd been right about the coffee stain, no amount of scrubbing was going to wash it off. He swept up the broken mug and moved into the dining area. Surveying the destruction, Ianto was suddenly very glad the flat had hardwood floors. He swept up the glass and ceramic shards, following his path through the flat with the broom and dustpan.

After the debris was thrown away, Ianto grabbed an empty box from the closet and started piling in all the items that he didn't need or wouldn't want to see ever again. Luckily he hadn't done a lot with the flat yet, so there wasn't much to get rid of. Once he was done, the whole place looked like a model home or a hotel. Nothing personal remained except a small pile of pictures removed from their broken frames.

Ianto was exhausted. He looked longingly at his bed but stripped the sheets off instead of climbing between them. He tossed them in the washer, grabbed a blanket and headed back to the living room. He kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the couch after flipping the TV to some random comedy. He was asleep in seconds and this time he didn't dream.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack and Ianto talk again about Ianto's future at Torchwood...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Fifteen
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for situations borrowed from Cyberwoman. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Fifteen**

The next few weeks were hard on Ianto. He wasn't able to sleep for longer than his normal five or six hours so the days seemed very long. He tried to keep himself occupied, but he couldn't find much to do at first. He called to have the door repaired and also spoke the landlord about breaking his lease. The door he explained away to the curious repairman as the result of a drunken ex-husband with an old address for his wife. They had a nice little chuckle about it. Ianto explained to the landlord that his fiancé ( _in for a penny, in for a pound_ , he thought) had been transferred to the US and that he would be joining her. She had been sympathetic to his plight and agreed to let him break the lease, for a hefty sum. 

After he hung up with the landlord, he wondered why he hadn't just told the woman that Lisa died. Try as he might, he couldn't think of a reason. And the thing that disturbed him the most was that it didn't even **occur** to him to tell the truth. He had been lying about Lisa for so long that it had become second nature. When she was alive, he'd lied and said she was dead. Now that she was dead, he was lying and saying she was alive. The more he thought about it, the more he felt a panicky flutter he associated with crippling anxiety attacks. So he did the only thing he'd found to combat it – he ran. 

Ianto had been running since he was a boy and the only purpose was to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. He had begun to use it as a means of escape in his teens. When he ran, he was able to focus his mind solely on the exercise. He would occasionally take his iPod, but he found that the music interfered with his natural rhythm and made the pace awkward and uncomfortable. Plus it made him paranoid when he couldn't hear the other people around him. He'd become convinced that someone was watching him. He never really saw anyone, just glimpses of movement in the corner of his eye, but he felt watched nonetheless. A little voice in his head kept telling him it was Jack, but he tried to ignore it. Thinking about Jack led to dreaming about Jack and he was still having the nightmare, although less frequently now. He didn't want to think about why Jack would be watching him, what he might be observing, or how it might affect Ianto's ability to go home to Torchwood.

He began running at least twice a day, in the morning and the evening, adding a run whenever he felt a panic attack looming. He'd had the attacks ever since he was a child, although he never knew what the cause was or why they went away when he got older. It didn't take a psychiatrist to tell him what was bringing them on now, but the only thing he knew for sure was that running was his cure.

When he ran, he checked out different neighbourhoods, trying to find a new flat. He'd stopped at a few places which looked promising but soon realised that panting, red-faced and sweaty was not the best way to impress landlords. So he developed a new pattern for his days. He would wake up and go for a run as the sun came up. He would make a note of any rentals that caught his eye and head back to the flat where he would force himself to eat at least one egg and one piece of toast. He was still fighting to keep food in his system, the months of strain and stress interfering with his eating habits had taken their toll on his body. Then he would shower and make sure his flat was 'show-ready' in case his landlord wanted to bring a prospective tenant by. 

Dressed in one of his nicest suits, he would visit the flats that he'd noticed on his run. Some days nothing caught his eye and he had to find other ways to occupy himself. Those days were the hardest. Reading didn't work, it was too easy for his mind to wander to painful thoughts of Lisa. Television was the same, if not worse. Mostly, he sat on the sofa and stared at the little box that was all that was left of Lisa. He tried to think about what she would want. Would she want him to keep her with him? Would she want to be scattered in the bay? Would she want to return to London? Inevitably, the walls of the flat would start to close in on him and he would bolt, running as fast as he could in any direction, so long as it was **away**. 

Not quite three weeks after Lisa died Ianto found another flat to lease. It was small but it had an open design, something he instinctively knew he would need. He was packing the last of his boxes when he heard a knock on the door. He opened it to find Jack standing on his front step.

Ianto froze, unable to think of a thing to say.

Jack looked uncomfortable as well. His shirt was wrinkled as if it had been slept in and the cut on his lip didn't seem to have healed at all.

They stared at one another for a long moment and then Jack muttered, "Can I come in?"

"Uh… yes, yes of course," Ianto said, belatedly stepping back and pulling the door open all the way so Jack could enter.

He shut the door and leant his forehead against in for a brief moment. _This is it_ , he thought.

"What's with the boxes?" Jack asked, looking around the bare room.

"I'm moving," Ianto replied. He walked over to the box he'd been taping shut and began to write on the top.

Jack was startled. "Moving? You're quitting?" 

Ianto could hear an odd note of panic in Jack's voice. He met Jack's eyes squarely. "Not unless you force me."

Jack stared at him. "You don't want to quit?"

"Do you want me to quit?"

"No! No, I… I don't want you to quit." Jack sighed. "This is not how this conversation was supposed to go."

Ianto looked at him questioningly.

Jack ran a hand through his hair. "How are you, Ianto?"

Ianto swallowed hard, the question caught him completely off guard. "I'm… better," he hedged, hoping Jack didn't press for details.

"You're too thin. You need to eat more and run less."

Giving Jack a sharp look, Ianto asked, "How do you know I've been running?" 

Jack grinned at him briefly and ignored the question. "So you want to come back to work?"

Ianto nodded.

"Are you sure? It won't be easy," Jack warned. 

"I know. I have to prove myself to you, to all of you again. I'm willing to do anything, Jack. I love this job, I really love it. I feel like I belong somewhere for the first time... well, ever. You can give me any restrictions you like, for as long as you like, just please give me another chance."

Jack contemplated a box labelled 'desk crap' as his hand strayed to his mouth. He pulled at the cut on his lip, just enough to make it split again. He didn't seem to notice he'd done it and Ianto wondered if he'd been doing that a lot. It would explain why it hadn't healed. Jack sighed and pulled Ianto's attention away from his mouth. "You're bargaining again."

Ianto gave him a sad, half-smile. "It worked the first time."

"No, it didn't," Jack grunted. "I hired you because…"

Ianto waited but Jack didn't finish the sentence. He took a deep breath. "Jack, please."

It worked. At the use of his name, Jack's eyes shot upward, locking onto Ianto's. He dropped his hand from the cut and crossed his arms. There was the slightest hint of the usual twinkle in the blue depths of his eyes again. "Fine. When do you move?"

Trying to keep the excitement out of his voice, Ianto replied, "Day after tomorrow, sir."

"Alright. Back at work first thing Monday."

"I could come earlier if –"

"No," Jack cut him off. "Monday. First thing."

"Monday," Ianto agreed.

Jack turned for the door and then hesitated. "It won't be easy," he said again.

"I know," Ianto said quietly, almost whispering. "It shouldn't be."

Nodding, Jack reached for the door and was gone.

Ianto let out a shaky breath. He realised he was trembling from head to foot. 

_Torchwood_ , he thought.

_Home._


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto says goodbye...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Sixteen
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for situations borrowed from Cyberwoman. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Sixteen**

On Friday, Ianto moved. Or, more accurately, he supervised while the two nice boys he had hired moved the furniture he was keeping and his boxes in their lorry. He spent Friday afternoon setting up the new flat. He emptied most of the boxes and got the furniture arranged. He hooked up the stereo, set up the kitchen and made a quick run to the store for some food. When he hung up his clothes, he lovingly smoothed his hands over a dark blue suit. _It'll be good to get into this again_ , he thought. The suits which had initially been his armour would now become more, he swore to himself. Instead of just playing the faithful servant, he would become one. He owed Jack a great debt, not just for the second chance but for the first as well. Torchwood was where he belonged and Ianto vowed he would never see it in danger again.

But first there was something he had to do. 

His gaze strayed to the small box on the dressing table. He had decided how to say goodbye to Lisa. He would start again at Torchwood first thing on Monday with a clean conscience, all his past behind him. To that end, he finished hanging up his suits and began packing his old rucksack with warm socks, an extra pair of jeans, two thick jumpers and his hiking boots. He went for an evening run and then straight to bed.

Then next morning Ianto woke at dawn. After a quick run, he showered and dressed in jeans and a jumper. He packed up some of the food he had purchased the day before and brewed a thermos of coffee. He threw on a pair of old trainers since his boots were uncomfortable to drive in. Then he wrapped Lisa's box in a t-shirt and nestled it carefully in his rucksack. Hefting it over one shoulder, he grabbed his sleeping bag and headed for the car. 

After he had merged onto the M4, Ianto relaxed a bit and had some of his coffee. He had quite a ways to go and all day to enjoy the drive. He felt a strange sense of excitement as he crossed the Second Severn Bridge and entered England. He hadn't been back to London in months and, while Wales was home, he'd enjoyed the years he'd lived in England. He sped through Wiltshire and Berkshire, sat in traffic at Reading. At the outer edge of London, he headed north, travelling around the capital, skirting along the edges of Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire on his way to Essex. Once he got off the M25, his memory took over and he finished the drive easily, heading for their usual parking spot. He parked and changed into his hiking boots. He paused for a moment, finishing his coffee as he gazed at the Epping Forest.

He locked the car and, sighing happily for the first time in a very long time, Ianto headed into the woods.

Lisa and Ianto had spent many weekends hiking and camping in the forest. They both loved it, its ancient beauty touched them and grounded them. They were never happier than after a weekend in Epping. As he meandered through the forest, Ianto wondered why he hadn't thought of this sooner. Lisa would be here forever now, in a place he knew she loved. He hiked for several hours, heading deep into the forest, searching for one special, enchanted spot. He found it shortly before dusk.

He dropped his pack and settled against a tree to wait. He glanced at his watch. _Not too long now_ , he thought. It grew darker, the sun slowly sinking towards the horizon. And then it happened. _Magic time_ , he thought with a smile. As the sun set, its golden light broke through the trees and bounced off the water of the small pond, sparkling brilliantly. It only lasted for a minute or two and it never looked the same way twice but it was always the most beautiful thing Ianto had ever seen. Just before the sun dropped below the line of the trees, Ianto stood and took the small box from his bag. He walked to the water's edge and opened the box.

"I love you, Lisa," he whispered. "Always." In the last moment of the light, with sunbeams gleaming around him, he let Lisa go.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto comes home...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Seventeen
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x4) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for situations borrowed from Cyberwoman. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Seventeen**

Ianto straightened his tie one last time before hitting the button to open the wall in the Tourist Office. He made his way down to the Hub slowly, more nervous than he had been on his first day. As the door rolled back and the cage-doors swung open, Ianto realised he was sweating and his mouth had gone dry. He stepped into the Hub and glanced around, looking for Jack. He saw him standing in his usual commanding stance, legs spread and arms crossed, up in the conference room. Gwen was next to him, leaning against the glass in a way that distracted Ianto momentarily – he hated cleaning the smudges off the glass.

Ianto looked up and met Jack's eyes, his mouth trembling slightly. Jack looked down at him. He gave Ianto an understanding nod and Ianto, reading the forgiveness in Jack's eyes even at a distance, relaxed a little. He hesitantly returned the nod and tore his gaze away from Jack. 

He found a bag and began to gather up the rubbish that had accumulated during his suspension. Glancing up at the conference room every now and then, Ianto could see Gwen and Jack discussing him. Well, he didn't know for **sure** that he was the topic, but Jack never took his eyes off Ianto and Gwen kept looking between them as they talked. Jack didn't seem to be enjoying the conversation. He was giving Gwen minimal responses and some of his eyerolls were so pronounced that Ianto could almost feel his exasperation. Ianto was simultaneously hoping Gwen would leave poor Jack alone and that she would stay right where she was. He didn't want to start his first day back by Gwen insisting that he cry a bit on her shoulder.

Ianto moved to the kitchen area to start the coffee. He cleaned up the space while it brewed. Someone, Owen if Ianto had to guess, had left an impressive collection of mugs with half-an-inch of coffee and cream rotting in the bottom. There appeared to be one for every day that Ianto had been gone, twenty-four disgusting cups all in a row with varying amounts of mould. _He even had ones for the weekends_ , Ianto realised. He rinsed them all without comment and started the dishwasher.

When he turned around, he almost ran into Jack who was standing right behind him. Ianto jumped and then compulsively straightened his tie.

"Coffee, sir?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

Jack nodded. "Please," he said.

Ianto grabbed one of the large, blue-striped mugs that Jack preferred and poured him the first cup of the day. He passed it to the other man, noting that Jack didn't let his fingers caress Ianto's like he usually did, but grabbed the handle instead. Ianto turned back to the coffee maker, blinking back a sudden rush of tears as adrenaline unexpectedly flooded his system. He fought to get himself under control, Jack's slight toppling the tension he'd been feeling into a near panic attack. _This is what it's going to be like. Nothing will be the same again, so get used to it!_ he told himself sharply.

He heard Jack retreat to his office and continued to clean up the kitchen area. By the time he had finished, Toshiko had arrived. She walked through the door and then looked around immediately. When she saw Ianto she hurried over to him.

"Ianto," she said reaching out to grasp his arm. "I'm so glad you came back."

He smiled weakly, feeling the tears press at the back of his throat again.

"I just want to say one thing and then we never have to talk about it again, unless you **need** to talk in which case we can go get a drink and talk whenever you like, I'm a good listener…" 

Ianto smiled at her rambling. 

"Sorry." Tosh grimaced, scrunching up her nose adorably. "What I want to say is this: I hope that someday before I die someone loves me as much as you loved Lisa." She stood on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek. "Welcome back."

She hurried away and Ianto found himself fiddling with the coffee maker again, waiting for the rush of emotion to subside. _This is going to be harder than I thought_. He hadn't been prepared for sympathy – coldness, suspicion, and disapproval, but not sympathy. As if on cue, Owen walked in.

Ianto tensed, wondering how this was going to go. Owen went to his workstation and threw his jacket on the chair. He saw Ianto standing by the coffee maker and made his way over to him. He grabbed a mug off the shelf and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Ianto," he said by way of greeting as he took a sip of coffee. Ianto nodded, unable to reply. Owen gave him a tight-lipped smile and headed back to his desk.

Ianto let out a shaky breath. Three down. That just left – 

"Ianto?"

"Yes, Gwen. Coffee?"

"Not right now, thanks sweetheart. I… I just wanted to say… well, that is… I know we haven't known each other that long… and well… I feel just terrible about it all."

_Oh God_ , Ianto thought, but all he said was, "Thank you," with a small smile. He glanced at his watch and said, "I better get back to my post then."

Gwen nodded and reached up to pat him awkwardly on the shoulder as he left. He walked quickly to the cog door, unable to resist glancing up at Jack's office. Jack was leaning against the doorframe. Their eyes met and Ianto immediately looked down. He took a deep breath and then changed direction, walking towards Jack. 

Jack raised his eyebrows and waited for Ianto to reach him.

"I was just heading back upstairs, sir. Is there anything in particular you need me to work on?"

Jack shook his head. "Not at the moment. Just keep going on the cataloguing."

Ianto nodded. "Yes, sir." 

He headed for the door again and almost missed Jack's soft words. "Welcome back."

Ianto paused, but didn't turn around. He allowed himself a small smile and straightened his shoulders. 

He was home.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto has trouble fitting back in with the team...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Eighteen
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Small Worlds (1x5)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Peter Hammond for situations borrowed from Small Worlds. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Eighteen**

Jack had been right, it wasn't easy. The other's had forgiven him, but forgiving was not the same as forgetting. A few months ago, Ianto had been glad to be ignored and generally treated as 'the help' but now he wanted to become a contributing part of the team. And it was hard on him to realise that it might never happen. 

Ianto came to work every day ready to prove himself however he could. Since he couldn't get Jack to give him anything else to do, he worked on the backlog of cataloguing until his eyes crossed. Then he would take a break and tidy up the Hub, keeping it as clean as possible at all times. He made sure there was always fresh coffee, sometimes around the clock. He tried to anticipate working lunches or late nights with take-away and drinks. He stayed late and came in early, although that was no real hardship since he was still prone to nightmares and panic attacks if he was alone or unoccupied for too long.

Late one night, Ianto was again trying to clean the rust stains off the white tile walls of the Hub. He had concocted a new cleanser which he was pretty sure would eat through glass, but it didn't seem to be having any effect on the stain. Because one of the ingredients in the cleanser was bleach, he had removed his suit and was wearing a pair of old running shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt. He had just bent down to re-wet the scrub brush when he heard a loud wolf-whistle behind him.

Ianto stood up quickly and turned to face Jack.

"You shouldn't be here," Jack said. 

"Neither should you," Ianto replied.

"But I live here."

"Yes, well let's not go into that again. Damned unhealthy."

Jack smiled. They'd had this argument before. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Cleaning, sir."

"Well, I can see that, but why are you cleaning at –" Jack glanced at his watch. "Good God, Ianto, it's almost one in the morning. Go home." 

"It's easier to do this now when no one… well, almost no one is here," Ianto explained, holding his ground as Jack approached him.

Jack reached out a hand to Ianto's shoulder, but an odd look crept into his eyes and let his hand drop to grab the scrub brush from him instead. He looked down at it as he spoke. "Ianto, that stain has been there for a hundred years. Nobody even notices it but you. Leave it. Go home and get some sleep."

"But – "

Jack looked up. "Go. Home."

Ianto sighed, defeated. He reached out for the scrub brush. "I'll just put these things away, sir, and then I'll go."

Jack shook his head. "I'll take care of them. Just go, Ianto."

Ianto dropped his eyes quickly, hoping that Jack hadn't seen his pain at being dismissed. _He can't even stand to be in the same room with me anymore_ , he thought. He stripped off his gloves and dropped them by the pail. _I can't seem to get anything right_ , Ianto thought as he turned to walk away. "I don't know what to do."

"Give us time," Jack said quietly.

Ianto was startled. He hadn't realised he'd spoken out loud. Turning back around, he looked at Jack. "Sir?"

Jack sighed and dropped the scrub brush in the pail and then leant back on the nearest workstation. "It's going to take time for us to trust you again. You knew that when you decided to come back."

"I know. It's just…" He couldn't finish.

"I know what you want, Ianto, what you think. You feel like you aren't part of the team, but you're wrong."

Ianto clenched his fists. "No, I'm not. You won't give me anything to do! I just get your coffee and… and…"

"'And clean up our shit.' I know you feel like that, Ianto, but it's just not true. It never has been. I know this is hard for you –"

"Know? How do you know? You've barely spoken to me since –" Ianto stopped suddenly, his anger fading as quickly as it had flared. _No right to be angry, no right to complain, no right._ He let his head fall forward, a picture of abject misery. "I'm sorry, sir," he whispered. "I'm sorry, I had no right to say that. I… I'm sorry, if you'll please excuse me?"

"Ianto," Jack called.

Ianto didn't turn, but he stopped and listened. 

"Ianto, I don't know how to say this right, but you **are** part of the team. Just give us all time and we'll… you and I, we'll figure out your place here. **Other** than making coffee and manning the Tourist Office, I promise. You're worth more than that. If you weren't, I wouldn't have asked you to come back at all. Okay?"

Ianto nodded, not quite sure he believed the Captain, but, oh, how he wanted to. He thought about what Jack had said as he shuffled down to the lockers to grab his suit. He had thought his suspension was his punishment, but he'd been wrong. **This** was his penance. If he was serious about staying at Torchwood and making up for the things he'd done, then he needed to serve his time without complaint. For however long it might last.

At the thought of Jack never chatting or flirting or touching him again, of Gwen's pitying looks and Owen's rude comments lasting forever, Ianto began to feel the panic rise in his chest. He slammed his locker closed without taking his suit. He concentrated on his breathing as he hurried out of the Hub. Once outside, he stood for a moment in the cool night air, just breathing in and out. He knelt down to loop the key to his flat through his shoe strings and then started to run, slowly at first. It was a little more than three miles to his flat. If he pushed himself, he could make it home in twenty minutes. Hopefully, the run would exhaust him and he would be able to sleep for a few hours before he would have to retrace his steps and return to the Hub. Falling into the familiar, comfortable stride, Ianto let his mind go blissfully blank, focusing on nothing but the next step forward.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The next morning Ianto dressed in running gear, packed up his suit for the day and jogged back to the office. He'd considered calling a taxi, but decided the run would do him good, help him get focused for the day. As he ran, he considered just keeping a week's worth of suits in his locker and making his daily runs part of his commute.

When he arrived at the Hub, he hurried down to the changing room to get cleaned up before anyone came in. He showered quickly and was still breathing hard as he stepped over the bench to his locker when he heard footsteps on the tile. He clutched the towel around his waist tighter, praying it wasn't Owen. He was in luck; it was Jack who stepped around the lockers.

"I thought that might be you. You left your car here last night."

"Yeah, uh, yes, sir. Needed a run," Ianto explained as he tried to slow his breathing.

Jack just looked at him for a moment, apparently not liking what he saw. "You're still too thin, Ianto. I could snap you in two right now."

Ianto grimaced and turned to his locker, hiding his face. "I prefer wiry to thin, if you don't mind, sir."

Jack chuckled and let the matter drop. He straddled the end of the bench and watched as Ianto scrubbed at his hair and his upper body with a second towel. "I've been thinking about our talk last night."

Ianto looked down at the Captain, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice, "Yes, sir?"

"I think maybe we're both right – you **are** part of the team, an essential part that I, for one, could not do without. But you're right, too – you are capable of much more than what you've been doing. So here's my proposal." Jack leant back on the bench and crossed his arms. "I'm going to start giving you some new tasks, things that aren't getting done right now. I'll expect you to start attending the staff meetings, not just bringing in coffee and then leaving. You should have been doing that already," Jack pointed out.

Hunching his shoulders defensively, Ianto replied, "I was never asked, sir, and no one ever said anything to me."

Jack snorted. "Well, consider this your engraved invitation." He stood up and turned to leave the locker room. "Come find me after you get settled and I'll show you what I have in mind."

"Thank you, sir. I really… I –"

Jack waved his hand. "See you upstairs," he said and left the room.

Ianto dropped onto the bench with a sigh. Maybe Jack really did want to trust him again. Maybe his second chance would work out after all.

That day, Ianto finally started to believe that he could get past his betrayal and move forward. Jack gave him several small assignments, monitoring mostly, rationalising that Ianto's organisation and attention to detail made him ideal for the job. He also opened up the rest of the archives to Ianto. He'd been working on cataloguing since his first day, but now Jack made him the keeper-of-the-keys as it were. Once again, Ianto's natural tendencies to organisation could be put to good use. Jack called a staff meeting just before lunch and announced the changes to the rest of the team. Tosh beamed at Ianto, Gwen looked happy as well and Owen just grumbled which Ianto took as a good sign.

That night, Ianto stayed late again, but this time he wasn't cleaning. He was working on his new assignments. He had a list of items to check and was working his way down, line by line. He was enjoying himself so thoroughly that he didn't even notice the time until Jack startled him again. 

Ianto was looking over his list when he heard Jack say, just as he had the night before, "You shouldn't be here."

Ianto looked up, surprised to see Jack stripped down to just a plain white t-shirt and trousers. He looked as if he'd been sleeping and Ianto hoped he hadn't woken him up. "Neither should you," he replied quietly. Jack didn't react to the quip, just stared at him looking exhausted, so Ianto moved on to the monitor. He heard Jack sigh behind him and the felt a hand on his back. 

"Whadda ya got?" Jack asked.

Ianto glanced behind him but Jack wasn't looking at him, he was watching the monitor. Ianto straightened up. Jack had touched him. It was the first time he'd had any physical contact with Ianto since the night Lisa died. Jack had touched him. Ianto felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. Jack had touched him. Jack had forgiven him.

Ianto sighed with contentment as Jack patted his back, then he answered question. "Funny sort of weather patterns."

Jack furrowed his brow, looking closely at the monitor. "I wonder…" he said, trailing off.

"Sir?"

"Nah. Couldn't be."

"Sir?" Ianto asked again.

"Hmmm?" Jack pulled a rose petal out of his pocket. "Oh, sorry, I was just remembering something… something from the past."

"Something to do with the weather?"

"Sort of," Jack said. He rubbed the petal between his fingertips until it curled and fell apart. Then he looked at Ianto again. "It's late, you should go on home. This can wait until morning."

Ianto looked at Jack for a moment and then said, "Yes, sir. Good night, sir."

Jack just nodded, distracted by his thoughts.

Ianto was almost to the cog door when Jack called out, "You're not running again, I hope?"

Laughing, Ianto replied, "No, I'm going to take my car."

"Good, good," Jack said as he turned back to his office.

Ianto smiled as the door rolled back. 

Jack had forgiven him.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the team investigate "fairies"...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Nineteen
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Small Worlds (1x5)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Peter Hammond for dialogue and situations borrowed from Small Worlds. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Nineteen**

The next day began to set the pattern of Ianto's second life at Torchwood. He still arrived before everyone else, tidied up the Hub and started the coffee. But instead of retreating to the Tourist Office with a pile of cataloguing, Ianto usually remained down in the Hub, working on his new assignments and helping out on cases when he could. 

When Jack and Gwen returned from an outing just before tea, Jack asked Tosh to gather up all the info Torchwood had on fairies, of all things. They all met the conference room and this time after Ianto served the tea, he stayed. During the conversation, he made a tentative joke to see how it would be received. He was glad to see Tosh and Gwen smile and even Owen seemed slightly amused, but Jack's immediate reply coupled with a flirty glance made Ianto's heart sing. Things were definitely getting better.

That afternoon Jack took Owen and Gwen out to investigate a fairy circle in Roundstone Wood, whist Ianto and Tosh stayed behind. As soon as they were alone, Tosh walked over to Ianto and gave him a big hug. A bit taken aback, Ianto awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. He sighed with relief when she let him go and returned to her computer.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"For sticking it out. I know it's been awful for you ever since... well, ever since. And coming back had to be hard on you. But it is getting better, right?" 

Smiling slightly, Ianto replied, "Yeah, I think it is."

"Good, because we need you here."

"On that note, may I get you some more tea? Or a cup of coffee?"

Tosh laughed. "No, but you can help me with this weather program. If you'll just read me these numbers here…" They worked side by side until the others returned.

Throughout the rest of the day, Ianto worked with the team, investigating the so-called fairies that Jack's friend Estelle claimed to have seen. He was helping Owen with paperwork for the man Jack believed the fairies had killed, when Jack got a call from Estelle and went tearing out of the Hub. Tosh yelled at Ianto on her way out, asking him to feed the data from the weather program into the SUV. Ianto did as she asked and then finished his other duties as well. Once he was done, he found other things to occupy his time. He could have gone home, but he was worried about Jack and didn't want to leave until he knew he was all right. 

One look at Jack's face when he walked through the door was enough to tell Ianto that everything was far from all right. He walked straight to his office, Gwen close on his heels. 

Owen hadn't come back down to the Hub but Tosh stopped in to grab her things. She stayed long enough to tell Ianto that Jack's friend had died, drowned by the fairies in the spot of rain he'd seen on the monitor that was running Tosh's weather program. His heart aching for Jack, Ianto decided to wait and see if he needed anything before he went home.

Gwen was in Jack's office for quite some time. Ianto could hear snatches of their conversation as he straightened up the workstations, but nothing that made any sense. When Gwen finally left, waving good night to Ianto on her way out, Ianto went immediately to Jack's office. He was still at his desk, resting his head on his folded arms like he might be asleep. Ianto took note of the almost empty brandy decanter and was about to leave when Jack spoke without raising his head.

"Don't go," he said in a ragged whisper.

"Of course, sir. Can I get you anything? Cup of tea or coffee? Or shall I open up another bottle of brandy?"

Jack shook his head and then looked up at Ianto. "Nothing right now. Just don't want to be alone."

"Of course, sir," Ianto said again. He sat in the chair across from Jack and crossed his legs.

They sat there for a few moments in companionable silence. Ianto took the opportunity to indulge himself in staring at Jack. He didn't get the chance to just look at the Captain very often, Jack was always on the go, animated and restless, but all that usual energy seemed to have drained away. Ianto was trying to drag his eyes away from the enchanting dimple in Jack's chin when he noticed the perfect lips above it twist into a grim smile.

Blushing, Ianto dropped his eyes to his lap. He nervously began pleating the fabric of his trousers.

"See anything you like?" Jack asked, his voice low and intimate but still teasing.

"I'm sorry, sir, it's rude to stare. I apologise," Ianto said stiffly.

Jack chuckled. "It's not rude when you have a look like that on your face."

"Like what?" Ianto asked, immediately regretting the question. It just wasn't safe to flirt with Captain Jack Harkness. 

Sighing, Jack's face fell and he shook his head. "Never mind," he said.

Impulsively, Ianto reached across the desk to place his hand over Jack's. "Isn't there anything I can do, Jack?"

Jack turned his hand and grasped Ianto's for a moment. He sighed again and let go, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, actually. Why don't you go grab another bottle of brandy after all? We'll each have a glass."

Ianto found the bottle quickly and when he returned to the office he found Jack pacing the length of the small room. Jack watched without comment as Ianto filled the decanter with about half the bottle of the brandy and then poured two generous splashes. He joined Ianto at the desk and they raised their glasses.

Jack was about to take a sip when he hesitated. Instead of drinking, he held his glass out to Ianto. "To love," he said bitterly.

Ianto nodded. "To Estelle."

Jack paused for a long moment. Then he touched his glass to Ianto's. "To Lisa," he said quietly.

Ianto swallowed hard and then nodded. "To love," he whispered and they both drank.

They finished their brandies in silence, each wrapped in his own thoughts. Ianto stepped forward to take Jack's empty glass. The feel of Jack's fingers sliding along his own was a balm to his tired soul. Spurred on by brandy fumes and Jack's nearness, Ianto reached for Jack, grabbing his wrist.

"I'm sorry, Jack. God, I'm so sorry, you know that right? I'm just so –"

"Hey, hey," Jack said as he pulled Ianto closer. "I know, I know, shhhh." Jack slid his arms around Ianto, drawing his trembling body against his own. Ianto rested his head on Jack's shoulder for a moment, just breathing, savouring the feel of Jack's arms holding him close. He raised his head and met Jack's eyes. For a moment, Ianto would have sworn they were back in that warehouse the night they caught Myfanwy. He was almost dizzy with the desire to lean forward another inch and press his lips to Jack's. He swayed for a moment in the warm circle of Jack's arms and then got hold of his senses again and stepped back.

Ianto cleared his throat. "Sorry, sir," he said briskly. "Brandy," he shrugged, trying to make light of the fact that he had almost kissed his boss. Again.

An unreadable expression on his face, Jack just nodded. Ianto picked up their glasses which had somehow ended up on Jack's desk. "Better get these cleaned up," Ianto said as he moved to leave. Suddenly he remembered why he'd stayed with Jack in the first place. He turned at the door and looked back at the other man. "Will you be alright, sir? Anything else I can do?"

Jack shook his head. "No, go on home. Thanks for staying."

Ianto inclined his head and murmured, "Of course," as he left the office. He washed the brandy glasses, leaving them to dry on a clean towel beside the sink. He drove home, replaying the moment with Jack in his head, a small smile on his lips. That night when he dreamed of Jack, it wasn't a nightmare.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone is angry with Jack...except Ianto...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Twenty
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Small Worlds (1x5)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Peter Hammond for dialogue and situations borrowed from Small Worlds. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Twenty**

The mood in the Hub was tense the next morning. Everyone was on edge because Gwen's flat had been trashed by the fairies. Ianto wished they could call them something else, but no one had a better name for the timeless spirits they were tracking. He couldn't help but think of Tinkerbell whenever someone said the word fairy and had a hard time reconciling that image with the monsters who had murdered Estelle.

Shortly after Jack arrived at the Hub with Gwen in tow, Tosh's weather program detected another disturbance, this time at a nearby primary school. The team headed out and Ianto was left alone to wonder and worry until they returned in the late afternoon. 

If the atmosphere in the Hub had been tense in the morning, Ianto didn't know a word strong enough to describe it after the team came back. Tosh and Owen stormed through the Tourist Office with such force that the front door slammed back into the wall. Before it had snapped shut again, Gwen came barrelling through right behind them. None of them spared a glance for Ianto. Luckily he had seen them pull up on the CCTV so the wall to the passageway was already open for them. When Jack didn't immediately follow, Ianto checked the CCTV again. 

Jack was standing next to the SUV. As Ianto watched, he started to walk towards the Hub three separate times, only to stop and turn back to the vehicle. Wondering just what the hell was going on, Ianto started to head out from behind his counter but was stopped by Owen crashing through the open wall yet again.

"Won't be in tomorrow," Owen said as he walked hurriedly past Ianto.

"What hap– " Ianto started to ask, but Owen didn't stop. Glancing back the CCTV, Ianto saw Owen walk right past Jack without acknowledging his presence. Ready to stamp his foot in frustration, Ianto stood in the doorway and soon found himself face to face with Tosh.

"What the hell happened out there?" Ianto asked abruptly.

Tosh looked furious. "He let her go. He let them take her. He – I'm sorry, Ianto, I have to get out of this place." She pushed her way around him and practically ran out the door.

Ianto stood there with a stunned look on his face. _**He let them take her.** Surely Tosh didn't mean that Jack…_

Deciding that he wanted answers before he approached Jack, Ianto put the 'away' sign up and headed downstairs. He saw Gwen tidying up the mess in the conference room but as he watched something on the monitor caught her eye and she began to study it closely. He was about to head up to join her when she suddenly bolted from the room. He stopped her when she got down the stairs.

"Gwen, please tell me what's going on."

"We lost, they won. Jack let them take the little girl, the chosen one." She practically spit out the last few words.

"He **let** them?"

"Yes! He could have figured something out, but she wanted to go with them and he just gave up and… and…" Her eyes filled with tears. Ianto reached out to put a hand on her shoulder and she took a deep breath. "I need to go home. I probably won't be in tomorrow, Ianto. You can call my mobile if something comes up, right?"

"Of course," Ianto said soothingly. "You go on home to Rhys."

She nodded and left quickly.

Ianto stared after her for a moment with narrowed eyes. _I don't believe it_ , he thought. _If there had been any other option, Jack would have taken it._ Ianto shook his head. He considered going outside to find Jack, but decided his time would be better spent removing all traces of the investigation from the Hub. He turned off the monitor with the weather program running on it. He knew better than to mess with Tosh's software so he didn't shut down the computer, only the display. He grabbed a couple of fresh folders on his way up the stairs to the conference room and neatly filed away all the pictures and data scattered over the table. 

Once he was done, he took a closer look at the screen that had upset Gwen. It was displaying a close-up of one of the Cottingley glass-plate photos. Wondering what it was about this particular phony fairy that bothered Gwen so much, Ianto switched off the display and gathered up the empty glasses from the table. Pausing for a moment to turn off the lights, he made a quick sweep of the room, looking for stray items. Finding nothing, he crossed to the kitchen area and loaded the dishwasher.

He looked down into Jack's office where he saw the Captain sitting at his desk again. He watched as Jack poured himself a glass of brandy which he drank one long swallow. Sighing, he finished up in the kitchen and walked down the stairs. He entered Jack's office without knocking and quietly sat in the same chair he'd occupied the night before.

Jack didn't look up from his desk, he just poured a second glass of brandy and slid it across the desk to Ianto.

"Thank you, sir," Ianto said politely as he took a sip.

Jack nodded and refilled his glass. This time it took two swallows to empty it. He lifted the decanter again and after his own glass was full he looked at Ianto for the first time. Without speaking, he raised his eyebrows and waved the decanter at Ianto.

Stifling a chuckle, Ianto said, "No thanks, still have quite a bit left."

Jack grunted and drained his glass again.

"Shall I fetch you a straw, sir? It would be faster."

Jack glared at Ianto.

"Sorry, sir." Ianto cleared his throat and dove in. "Would you like to talk about it or would you rather just keep drinking?"

Jack looked thoughtful. "Can't I do both?"

"You're the boss," Ianto replied.

"Yes, I am," Jack said. He barked out a mirthless laugh. "With all the benefits like, oh, I don't know – sacrificing little girls to ancient monsters." He took another gulp of brandy. "But the best part, the **best** part of being the boss is that everyone **else** gets to be mad at you when you fail. You see..." Jack stood up a little unsteadily and started to walk around the room, gesturing with his half-full glass. "It's not enough that you've failed, and that you **know** that you've failed, everyone else has to rub your nose in it."

Ianto shifted slightly in the chair so he could face Jack. "Ah. And do you really think you failed, Jack?"

Jack looked confused. "Weren't you paying attention?" He sloshed some brandy on the floor as he pointed at Ianto with the glass. "The 'sacrificing little girls' part? Pretty big failure." He took another drink.

"Why did you do it, then?"

"Because there was no other option! Those creatures could have destroyed the whole world, and they would have too, just to spite me," he said sullenly, swaying slightly.

Ianto stood up and tried to take the glass from Jack's hand. Jack pulled it away and finished the last bit of brandy before he let go. Ianto set the glass on the desk and turned back to Jack.

"I hate to sound callous here, but the whole world versus one little girl? Jack, is that really even a question?"

Jack shook his head defiantly, not willing to listen.

Ianto tried a different tack. "Gwen said the little girl wanted to go. Was she scared?"

"Scared?" Jack asked.

"The... what did Gwen call her – the chosen one? Was she scared?"

Jack looked unsure. "No, she wasn't scared. She… she did want to go with them. She fought me when I tried to keep her here. She was happy to go."

Ianto just looked at him for a moment. Jack suddenly slumped forward and covered his face with his hands. Ianto put his arms around the other man and held him. "You did the right thing, Jack," he whispered. "You always do." And all of a sudden Ianto knew that it was true. Jack always did the right thing for everyone else's safety. He felt the last little bit of anger he had been holding on to since Lisa died fizzle and disappear. He felt Jack's arms go around his waist and clutch at him. Jack buried his face in Ianto's neck and Ianto could feel the dampness of tears against his skin. He made soothing noises and rocked gently back and forth as Jack calmed down.

When Jack pulled away, he scrubbed at his face with his hands and then tried to give Ianto a smile. "Sorry, Ianto. I really shouldn't drink brandy."

"At least not half the bottle in ten minutes," Ianto replied.

Jack grimaced. "Yeah."

"Did you want me to order you some food? It might help. I can get pizza or Chinese or there's a new Thai place down the street?"

Grimacing even more, Jack said, "Ugh, none of that sounds good, sorry."

"Quite alright. You should eat something, though."

Jack smiled. "You should talk."

Feeling an unwelcome blush creep into his cheeks, Ianto challenged, "I will if you will."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Alright then." He walked, almost in a straight line, to his desk and sat down. "I'm going to do my paperwork like a good little boss and you're going to go out and find us some real comfort food. I don't care what it is, as long as it's not spicy. Deal?"

Ianto grinned. "Deal. Give me, say half-an-hour?"

Smiling for the first time all day, Jack reached out his hand. When Ianto looked at him curiously, Jack's smile widened and he crooked his fingers. "Stopwatch, please."

Ianto rolled his eyes, but pulled the antique stopwatch from his waistcoat and placed it on Jack's upturned palm. Jack looked carefully at it for a moment before raising his eyes to Ianto again.

"Why do you even have this?" he asked.

"Sometimes I like to time myself when I run."

"You know they make digital ones now, right?"

Ianto smiled. "It was my grandfather's."

Jack nodded and smiled again. He clicked the button on the top. "Half hour, better get going."

"Yes, sir," Ianto replied.

Ianto decided just to head over to the pub. It was still early enough that there wouldn't be a crowd. He ordered a selection of items and watched a bit of the football match while he waited for the food. When he got back to the Hub, Jack wasn't in his office. Glancing around, Ianto found him up in the conference room. Cursing himself for not clearing that damn fairy picture off the monitor, Ianto headed upstairs. He set the food on the table and then moved to stand next to Jack. Reaching for the remote which Jack held loosely in his hand, Ianto tried to turn off the display.

"No, Ianto," Jack said, gripping the remote tighter. "Look!"

Ianto looked at the screen. "What I'm looking at, sir?"

"That's her. That's Jasmine, the little girl."

"What?" Ianto looked closer at the screen, but since he'd never seen Jasmine he wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for. "Jack, that's not possible. These pictures are fakes **and** they were taken in 1917."

"That's her," Jack said with conviction. Since this realisation seemed to bring Jack some peace, Ianto didn't press for any more explanation. He simply turned off the monitor and turned Jack to face the table.

"Dinner."

Jack actually rubbed his hands together. "What did you get?"

Ianto started opening the take-away containers as he spoke. "We've got a shepherd's pie, an order of fish and chips with mushy peas, a ploughman's, and some sort of baked pasta – it was the special."

Jack reached for a chip and popped it in his mouth. Talking around the mouthful of potato, Jack asked, "What is it with you and your mushy peas?"

Taking a seat at the table and tucking a napkin in his collar, Ianto replied, "It's tradition." 

Jack laughed and pulled the napkin away from Ianto. "And why do you always do that?"

Blushing again, _God, what is wrong with me?_ , Ianto snatched at the napkin but Jack held it behind his back. Trying to look dignified, Ianto said, "It keeps me from dropping food on my tie."

Jack took an exaggerated look around the room. "There's no one here, Ianto. Why don't you just take off the tie and relax a little."

Ianto made one more unsuccessful grab for the napkin and then huffed, "Oh, fine," and started to take off his tie. He rolled it neatly and put it in the pocket of his jacket. Giving Jack a look which plainly said 'I am only humouring you', he hung his jacket on the back of the chair and unbuttoned his waistcoat and the first few buttons of his shirt. "Happy now?"

A strange look on his face, Jack nodded.

Without thinking Ianto said irritably, "You know, for someone who likes me in suits, you sure seem eager to get me out of it."

Jack choked on a chip. Coughing and spluttering, he reached for his glass of water while Ianto patted him on the back. When he could speak again, he said, "God, Ianto! What are you trying to do to me?"

Ianto just smiled. "Have some mushy peas, Jack."

They spent the rest of the evening sharing their dinner and talking of unimportant things, both of them happier than they had been in a long time.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a missing persons case takes the team to the Brecon Beacons...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Twenty-One
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter  
> Warnings: Violence (pretty much for the whole episode...)
> 
> Spoilers: Countrycide (1x6)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue and situations borrowed from Countrycide. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Twenty-One**

"Ianto!"

"Yes, sir?" Ianto replied as he threaded his way through the bead curtain to meet Jack by the counter.

"Do we have any camping gear?" Jack asked.

"Camping gear?" Ianto asked blankly. "You mean like tents?"

"Tents, sleeping bags, whatever."

Ianto thought for a moment. "I believe there are some old army supplies down in the lower basement. I can see what there is."

"Good, good. Get on that will you?"

"Of course, sir. May I ask why?"

Jack grinned. "New case. The police have requested our assistance with a rash of missing persons up in Brecon Beacons."

"And this will require camping gear?"

Jack shrugged. "It's a ways out there and I thought it might be fun. We could all use a little break," he added quietly.

Ianto nodded. It had been a rough week for Jack. When the rest of the team finally deigned to return to work, they had ignored Jack as much as possible until they each came to grips with his decision regarding the fairies and the little girl. Ianto was surprised that Gwen was the first to relent. He soon came to believe that Gwen didn't necessarily think Jack was right, but that she just couldn't stand giving him the silent treatment. As soon as she forgave him, she became Jack's shadow, taking her work into his office, intercepting Ianto so she could bring him his coffee, _generally making a nuisance of herself_ , Ianto thought with a twinge of jealousy that always hit him when he saw Jack and Gwen together. 

Now seeing the gloomy look on Jack's face, Ianto reached out to touch his shoulder briefly. "I'll go right down and see what I can find. When do you want to leave?"

Jack smiled and covered Ianto's hand with his own. "Thanks, Ianto. Could you have everything ready by lunchtime?"

Ianto glanced at his watch. "If I can find the equipment easily, then yes. I'll let you know if it's going to be a problem."

"Thanks again. Be sure you leave enough time to grab a change of clothes."

Ianto looked confused. "For whom?"

"For you," Jack replied in surprised tone. "I don't imagine you'll want to be sleeping rough in your suit."

"You want me to come?" Ianto asked, unable to keep the disbelief out of his voice.

Jack looked at him curiously. "Yeah, I said 'the team' and that means you too."

"But… but I've never done fieldwork before, sir. I didn't think… I mean… well, why now?"

Jack reached for Ianto and then hesitated and pulled his arms back, crossing them over his chest. "It's like I said, we could all use a little break. Don't you want to come?"

"I… I…" Ianto was at a loss, but Jack expected him to join the team and he didn't want to let him down. "Yes," he said finally.

"Good. Then let me know what you find in the basement, go home and get changed, and we'll have some fun."

Ianto nodded and started to accompany Jack back downstairs. They had almost reached the service lift when Jack turned suddenly and said, "Oh, and don't tell the others. I want it to be a surprise." He grinned like a little kid and entered the lift. 

Ianto, safely out of sight behind Jack, rolled his eyes. _Oh yeah_ , he thought, _it'll be a surprise alright._

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Ianto found a plethora of camping gear in the basement. He packed whatever he could fit into the SUV – tents, cots, blankets, folding tables, and various other pieces of equipment. After that was done, he drove home to change his suit for a pair of worn blue jeans, a long sleeved shirt and his hiking boots. He made it back to the Hub for the tail end of Jack's announcement about the new case.

When Jack had finished, he asked Ianto to lock down the Hub and meet them at the SUV. 

Gwen looked concerned. She pulled Jack aside and asked in a slightly lowered voice, "Are you sure it's a good idea to bring him along?"

Glancing quickly at Ianto, who had indeed overheard every word, Jack asked, "Why not?"

Gwen stammered, "Well, he's not… not a field agent and… well, it's so soon after… well, everything."

"In the past. Move on," Jack said firmly. 

Ianto smiled gratefully as he set the security alarms.

Gwen made a pest of herself again when they got the SUV. She pulled open the passenger side door and had started to get in the car when Owen grabbed her arm.

"Uh, and just what do you think you're doing, luv?" he asked.

"I'm getting in the car."

Owen shook his head. "Not up there you're not. I ride shotgun, especially on long trips."

"And why's that?" Gwen asked.

"I get carsick," Owen said, batting his eyelashes. "Plus, there's no way I'm squashing back there with Ianto. No offense, mate," he said as Ianto opened the back door. "Just a little too cosy for two blokes."

Ianto grinned and said, "Indeed." He wasn't sure if he was agreeing because he didn't want to sit next to Owen either or because it was making Gwen mad. He decided he didn't really care.

Gwen made one last effort. "So have Tosh sit in the middle," she said as Tosh walked around the end of the car.

"Tosh can't sit in the middle because Tosh needs the computer which is over here," Tosh said as she climbed in the back.

"Enough!" Jack hollered. "Everyone just get in the damn car, I don't care if you're sitting on someone's lap. Just get in!"

Ianto climbed in over Tosh and took the middle seat, leaving Gwen to grumble herself into the seat directly behind Jack. Owen closed his door with a sigh of satisfaction and turned to give Gwen a triumphant smile. When she huffed and turned to look out the window, Owen and Ianto shared a small chuckle. Ianto glanced up to meet Jack's eyes in the rear view mirror. He was grinning too.

The ride north was uneventful. Owen started complaining about being hungry after they'd crossed into Brecon Beacons and finally Jack pulled over at a burger stand to shut him up. While Ianto procured them some lunch, Jack went over the specifics of the case. Ianto had just passed out the burgers when Jack dropped the bomb.

Pointing at the map he had spread out on the hood of the SUV, Jack said, "We'll start with the most recent victim, Ellie Johnson. We last have record of her making a phone call. She dropped out of signal mid-call. The coverage map has her placed... somewhere about here. Looks as good a place as any to set up camp."

Ianto glanced at Owen. He froze, his burger halfway to his mouth. "Sorry, did you say 'camp'?"

Ianto chuckled as Jack smiled and told everyone to load up.

When they reached the campsite, everyone buckled down to get the tents set up. Even Owen did his part, albeit with a lot of complaining. Ianto was pounding in a tent stake when he heard Jack finally snap at the doctor.

"Celebrate your own uniqueness!" he said and stalked off.

Wondering just what was so unique about Owen, Ianto finished putting up his tent. The long silence as everyone worked was finally broken by Gwen starting up some stupid camp game. Apparently the point of the game was to share the name of the last person you snogged. 

_Good lord, is she twelve?_ Ianto thought just as Owen said, "You even sound like an eight-year-old!"

Gwen started the game by herself, dragging Tosh and Owen into it as well. When Ianto saw the embarrassment on Tosh's face change to surprised pain after Owen's little revelation that he and Gwen had kissed, he went from annoyed to angry. He was so furious that he barely registered Jack's quip about non-human life forms.

He waited for the first pause in conversation and then dove in, focused only on hurting Gwen in retaliation for Tosh. "It's my turn, is it? It was Lisa." 

Gwen looked like she'd been smacked. 

_Good_ , Ianto thought. 

"Ianto, I'm sorry…" she started.

Still seeing red, Ianto said, "Sorry she's dead? Or sorry you mentioned it?"

"I just didn't think…"

"You forgot," he accused in a quiet voice.

As an uncomfortable silence fell over the team, Ianto's anger faded leaving him sweaty and shaking. _Oh God, what did I do?_ he thought. _Stupid, stupid!_ Gwen and Owen left to find firewood and Ianto found Jack staring at him, an expression of such irritation and disappointment on his face that Ianto couldn't meet his eyes. He sprang up from the cot and hurried over to the SUV. He made a great show of tidying up the items left in the boot and pretended not to notice when he heard Jack walk up behind him.

"Ianto," Jack said when he didn't turn around.

"Yes, sir?" he answered, his reply muffled as he reached to the back of the storage space.

"Ianto, leave it. Look at me," Jack said, grabbing Ianto's arm.

Ianto fixed his eyes somewhere over Jack's left shoulder as he faced him.

Jack continued. "What the hell was that?" he asked. He didn't sound angry but the disappointment in his voice almost broke Ianto's heart.

"I… I'm sorry, sir. I don't know why I said that. I was just… I just get so angry and I can't seem to… I can't stop myself." He felt his eyes fill with tears and tried to blink them away, ashamed of carrying his emotions so close to the surface. He tried to get himself under control as Jack watched him. When Jack didn't speak again, just stood there looking at him with that same saddened expression, Ianto felt the flutter of a panic attack in his chest. He started to breathe harder, trying to force the panic down, not wanting to break down in front of Jack.

Jack must have seen something change in Ianto's face, because he immediately stepped forward and took him by the shoulders. Their faces only inches apart Jack said soothingly, "Breathe, Ianto. Deep breaths, you're fine."

Ianto tried to comply but his mind kept replaying the look on Gwen's face, the gasp of surprise from Tosh, Owen's curled lip and, worst of all, the accusation in Jack's eyes. He started to hyperventilate, his body turning against him.

"Ianto!" Jack said sharply, cradling Ianto's face in both hands. "Look at me. That's it, look at me. This is not a safe place for a run, so you're going to need to do something else, okay? Take a deep breath with me, okay? That's it, breathe in." Jack moved one hand so it was pressed against Ianto's chest. "Okay, now breathe out, slowly. Just think about the breaths. Look at me, stay with me! In and out." Jack continued to direct his breathing and Ianto felt the attack begin to pass. As soon as Ianto was breathing normally again, Jack gently pushed him back so he was sitting on the bumper of the SUV.

Ianto dropped his head into his hands. He felt Jack's hand against his hair, stroking gently. "How long have you had these attacks?" he asked quietly.

Ianto groaned. "My whole life, but they haven't been bad for years. I had them under control until… until…"

"Until Lisa," Jack said. It wasn't a question.

Ianto nodded.

"And the running helps?"

Ianto nodded again. "I don't know why," he shrugged.

Jack continued to stroke his hair. "It gives you something to focus on, something you can control."

Ianto raised his head to look up at Jack and Jack's hands slid to his shoulders. "You sound like you know."

A rueful smile on his lips, Jack said, "Yeah, I do. Believe it or not, I know what you're going through, Ianto. Everything feels raw, exposed, you don't know whether you want to cry or hit something until your hand breaks."

Dazed, Ianto looked up at Jack, nodding. "How long…" he swallowed hard. "How long does it feel like this?" he asked in a small voice.

There was a faraway look in Jack's eyes when he replied. "Honestly? A long time. But it gets better little by little, especially if you can find other things to occupy you. Things that matter, like this job." He tightened his hands on Ianto's shoulders. "Don't throw away your chance here."

Ianto flushed and nodded again, not dropping his eyes from Jack. Jack's eyes softened and he opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Owen, hollering for Jack from the edge of the woods.

They'd found a body. It was clearly not the missing person they were searching for, but they started gathering evidence just the same. As the rest of the team focused on the corpse, Ianto concentrated on stringing up the crime scene tape. The sight of the bloody remains had shaken him more than he wanted to admit. A few minutes later, they heard the SUV engine revving.

"Is that ours?" Toshiko asked.

"Yeah," Jack said.

They all took off at a run, and if Ianto felt he was running away from the body as much as he was running towards the campsite, no one else needed to know.

The team arrived at the clearing just in time to see the SUV finish destroying the camp and disappear over the hill. Everyone stood there panting for a moment until Jack asked, "Who had the keys?" They all looked at each other, waiting. Owen slowly raised his hand.

Gwen and Tosh immediately began yelling at Owen while Jack just shook his head. Ianto had a sudden thought. He pulled out his PDA and activated the tracker he had placed on the SUV all those months ago. It was still working. He was hesitating about telling Jack – he really didn't want to explain the tracker, especially not after his earlier comments – when Jack asked Tosh if she could get a read on the vehicle. Ianto knew most of her equipment was still in the SUV and decided that Torchwood came first, even if it meant Jack being angry with him again. Besides, he didn't need to explain the details unless someone asked.

"Already done," he said, waving his PDA at Jack. "I took the liberty. It's currently 3.4 miles west from here."

"Gunning at ninety, no doubt," Owen said glumly. "You steal a piece of equipment like that, you drive straight on 'til morning." 

Ianto shook his head. "Actually, no. It's been stationary for the past four minutes. I'd go so far as to say it was parked." 

After some discussion, the team set off after the SUV on foot. They arrived in the desolate village a little before sundown and Jack immediately split them into two teams.

"Tosh, Ianto, follow the signal. Find the SUV. Owen, Gwen, let's see if there's any room at the inn."

Ianto glanced down at his PDA and set off again, Tosh following close behind. She caught up and stopped him after a moment.

"Ianto, how did you get a trace on the SUV? I didn't know you had any of the codes?"

"I don't," he admitted, cursing his fair skin as a blush crept into his cheeks. "I… oh, God. Tosh, I hid a tracker on the SUV when I was trying to get Jack to give me a job. I haven't used it in months, I swear. With everything that's been going on I forgot it was there until just now. Please don't tell Jack," he begged. "I swear, I'll take it off as soon as we get the SUV back."

Tosh just looked at him. "You've had a tracker on the SUV for months? And it didn't show up on any of our scans? Impressive..."

Ianto must have still looked nervous because Tosh took pity on him. She smiled and said, "Oh, I won't tell Jack, don't worry. And don't you dare take it off. You'll just have to give me the frequency so I can use it, too. It's always good to have a backup system for emergencies. You know, like right now," she added dryly. 

Letting out a sigh of relief, Ianto said, "Thanks Tosh."

"No problem. Now which way?"

He checked the PDA and then pointed. "It's just half a mile up here."

They continued to search for the SUV without success. Ianto was beginning to wonder if the thief had taken the tracker off and thrown it out the window. He was just about to continue over the next hill when he realised that Tosh had disappeared. Calling her name repeatedly, he drew his gun and started to panic. He saw a movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to give chase. Before he knew what was happening, he was shoved to the ground and everything went black.


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: In which the team's camping trip goes horribly, horribly wrong...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Twenty-Two
> 
> Rating: R for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Countrycide (1x6)  
> Warnings: Violence and seriously icky cannibals
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue and situations borrowed from Countrycide. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

The next few hours were something out of a nightmare. Ianto awoke next to an unconscious Toshiko in a dark, dank cellar. They had both been stripped of their weapons and the things they found in that room filled Ianto with primal terror that went bone-deep. _People, my God, they're… eating people!_

He was glad they were allowed to stay together at least. Having Tosh next to him gave him something to focus on, something to keep him from succumbing to the debilitating panic he could feel pushing against the back of his throat. When it became clear just what was in store for them at the hands of the monsters masquerading as humans, Ianto suddenly became very calm. 

_I'm dead_ , he thought clearly.

His mind was racing. _The Harvest, she called it,_ he thought, trying not to vomit as the woman with the gun led them from the cellar to slaughterhouse. _They're going to kill us and then they're going eat us, in that order, if we're lucky._ He tore his mind away from the inevitable and thought about Tosh. If he could help Tosh escape, then maybe Jack would remember him as more than a traitorous coward. His first attempt to overpower their captors was a failure, but he was still determined to save Tosh. He saw another opportunity and whispered to her, "Get ready to run."

When the bastard with the bat turned his attention to Ianto, he gave him his best Tourist Office smile and a head butt that would have made his rugby coach proud. He tried to follow Tosh when she ran, but the woman got in his way. She grabbed him by his hair and yanked him back into the room. The man, who's nose looked satisfyingly broken, retaliated with a punch to Ianto's face which knocked him off his feet and several well-placed kicks once he was down. He was still trying to get his breath back when everything went black for the second time. 

 

. . .

 

Ianto woke up blind, gagging on the stench of the slaughterhouse. He thrashed about on the floor, trying to scrape the bag off his head. He could hear someone laughing nearby.

"Who's a little wiggle-worm, then?" asked a sickeningly sweet voice. It was the woman with the shotgun. 

Ianto froze.

"Oh, come on, wiggle-worm, wiggle some more," she commanded. He felt the barrel of the shotgun poke his side, but he refused to move. He bit down on the filthy rag in his mouth when she poked him harder. "Wiggle! Wiggle!" He felt her hand against the bag over his head. She was searching for something and crowed when she found it. Pinching Ianto's nose hard with one hand, she poked him with the shotgun again.

He couldn't breathe. The gag didn't allow enough air to pass through his mouth and she was cutting off the only other source. He tried to kick her, but she evaded his feet easily. He yelled through the gag, bucking against the floor as his need for oxygen became critical.

She laughed.

"Good little worm," she said as she let go of his nose.

He sucked in much needed air, only to have it forced out again as she rammed the shotgun into his ribs. As he gasped through the pain, he heard her say, "Night, night, little worm."

He actually heard the crack of the shotgun against his skull, then there was silence and blessed blackness again.

 

. . .

 

Ianto felt someone picking him up. The bag must have been taken off his head, because he could see again when he opened his eyes. _Oh God, Tosh!_ He barely had time to register his despair that she had been recaptured before the monster behind him put a cleaver to his throat.

Ianto screamed behind the gag. His earlier resignation to his fate had left him completely. He was struggling to get away from the cleaver when the house began to shake. Growling like an animal, the man shoved Ianto aside as he went to investigate. He would have fallen if Gwen hadn't been there to catch him. She held him close, whispering "It'll be ok, sweetheart," in his ear. Ianto was grateful for the lie.

Then the house exploded. Ianto glimpsed Jack, riding in on a bloody tractor of all things and opening fire on the whole room. He dropped back to the ground and curled himself into a ball, staying there, even after the firing had stopped and the only sounds in the room were muffled sobbing. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he flinched and tried to make himself even smaller.

"Ianto, it's me," he heard a soft voice say, but he refused to move or open his eyes.

"Jack! Over here!" He heard that same voice call out to someone.

"Gwen, Owen, cuff this bastard and take him over to the pub," he heard a strong voice say. The voice got closer. "Tosh, what is it?"

"It's Ianto. I can't get him to move."

"Here, this might help." Ianto felt warm hands on his arms. There was a metallic click and he felt the cuffs on his wrists loosen. He immediately brought his arms up over his head, curling even tighter into himself. He felt those warm hands again, this time on his shoulders pulling him up even as he resisted. He half fell onto a broad chest and was held there as two strong arms wrapped around him. He buried his face in soft grey wool and felt strangely safe. "You coming back to us?" Jack asked.

Jack. _Jack._ Ianto let out a shuddering sigh and nodded. He felt Jack's hands move to cradle his head, forcing Ianto to meet his eyes. Jack stared at him for a moment. "Maybe a concussion. Tosh, will you look after him? I'm going to the pub while Gwen talks to that animal. I'll call the authorities from there and send Owen back to patch up this slime," he said with a sneer in his voice. "Although it won't break my heart if any of them dies."

"Sure thing," Tosh said. She took Ianto's arm after Jack had pulled him to his feet. He gave her a weak smile.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"For what?" she asked. "Almost getting yourself killed to save me?"

"Uhh…" 

"It was very brave," she said, tears filling her eyes. She reached up to give him a gentle kiss. "Don't ever do that again!" she scolded a second later.

He nodded and then winced.

"Here, come sit down," Tosh said.

"No!" When she looked surprised, he explained. "No, really Tosh, I just want to get the hell out of here."

Glancing around, Tosh suddenly looked sick to her stomach. "Good idea," she said and led him out the gaping hole in the wall.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto deals with the aftermath of his first field assignment...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Twenty-Three
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Countrycide (1x6)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue and situations borrowed from Countrycide. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

The sun was fully up when they finally headed home. Jack and Owen had returned to the campsite to pick up their gear and shoved it in the back of the SUV best they could. Ianto groaned when he saw the mess and tried to straighten it up, but Jack had stopped him, pointing out that it all fit and that was the important part. There was as much debate about the seating arrangements for the ride home as there had been for the ride out. Tosh insisted that Ianto should sit up front with Jack, and Owen was arguing that Gwen should ride shotgun and swore there was no pun intended. Gwen and Ianto, vying for the title of Most Injured, just leant against the SUV tiredly as the discussion went on and on. Giving Gwen a brief smile and a roll of his eyes, Ianto solved the whole issue by pulling himself into the back seat behind Jack and refusing to get out.

Tosh climbed in next to him and Owen, with no grumbling at all, got in the back with them. After Gwen was situated so that the seatbelt didn't press against her wound, Jack kicked on the lights and sped away from the scene as fast as possible.

The ride home was fairly quiet. Gwen was dozing in the front seat and Jack carried on a quiet conversation with Tosh about what had happened after they separated. Ianto, who was not allowed to fall asleep on Owen's orders, stared out the window and tried not to listen. Every so often he would glance up at the rear view mirror and find Jack watching him. He tried to smile reassuringly, but that only made the crease between Jack's eyebrows deepen.

When they reached the Hub, Owen insisted that Jack let him take Gwen and Ianto down on the lift. He herded them both to the medical bay as soon as they were inside. He gave each of them a tetanus shot and some painkillers right away and then had Gwen sit while he x-rayed Ianto. He cleaned the collection of cuts on Ianto's neck and face, none of which needed stitches. 

"Alright," Owen said, pulling off his gloves. "That's it for you. Go take a shower and get cleaned up while I develop these films. If you've got any broken ribs I'll need to go over what you'll need to do. I don't think you're concussed, so you don't have to worry about that."

"Thanks," Ianto said.

Owen just waved him away and turned to Gwen, pulling on fresh gloves.

Ianto made his way down the showers slowly. The long ride in the car hadn't done him any favours and his whole body was stiff from the abuse of the night before. He showered slowly, discovering new bruises and scrapes with every stroke of the flannel. When he finished, he stood in front of the mirror to assess the damage. He had a gash at his hairline, bruises down the side of his face, his nose was tender but not, _thank God_ , broken. There was a long cut on his neck from the cleaver. He rubbed his fingers gently over the mark, hoping it wouldn't scar. He didn't want a reminder of that night carved into his skin for all time. His torso was a mass of bruises. He took an experimental deep breath. It hurt, but not with the stabbing pain he associated with broken ribs. _All in all, it could have been worse_ , he thought just before he started to shake. _Delayed shock_ , his mind said logically but no matter how he tried he couldn't stop shivering.

He made his way across the room, hoping he had something warm to wear. On the bench in front of his locker, sat a pile of neatly folded clothes. He picked them up and found some clean socks, a pair of worn flannel pyjama bottoms and a soft cotton t-shirt with long sleeves. Ianto realised that Jack must have brought them in while he was showering. Whispering a 'thank you' to his boss, Ianto pulled on the clothes and his shivers lessened considerably. He couldn't help but press a sleeve to his face once he was dressed. There it was – the enticing, dizzying, wholly unexplainable scent that was Jack. Ianto smiled and took a deep breath, savouring the fragrance for a moment before that little voice in his head started making rude comments.

Ianto headed back up to the Hub, glad to find that he didn't ache as much anymore. Whether it was due to the hot shower or to Owen's painkillers, he didn't really care. The Hub was silent except for Myfanwy cooing over her dinner. Ianto called out for Owen as he headed for the med bay but it was darkened and empty. Wondering if everyone had left him behind, Ianto started to shake again. He headed for Jack's office and was relieved to see the Captain sitting behind his desk. He looked up at Ianto's approach.

"Hey," he said, putting down the paper he'd been reading.

"Hey," Ianto replied. "Thanks for these," he said, pointing at his clothes.

"You're welcome. Sit down, you look exhausted."

"Thanks, I am rather."

Jack looked at him for a long moment, leaning back and resting his chin on his hand. "Oh! Owen said you don't have any broken ribs or a concussion. He left these for you," he said, pushing a small bottle towards Ianto. "If you need them."

"Thanks," Ianto said again.

"I sent everyone home for a few days," Jack went on. "I can take you home if you'd like, but I don't want you driving yourself right now," he said sternly.

"I… I'd rather stay here for a bit, if you don't mind. Don't really want to be alone right now."

Jack nodded. "That's fine." He sat forward and crossed his arms on the desk. "What would you like to do? Sleep? Eat? Talk? Not talk? Couple rounds of boxing?" he teased.

Ianto smiled. "Actually all I really want is a cup of coffee. Would you like some?" he asked as he stood up.

"I should be offering to make you coffee," Jack said. "But I think you've been through enough today."

Ianto chuckled as he headed for the kitchen area, Jack following. 

"I just want to say one thing, Ianto." Jack had a serious look on his face. "I would never have purposefully chosen something like this for your first experience in the field, but you handled yourself well and I'm proud of you."

Glad he had the coffee maker to focus on, Ianto nodded and said in a rough voice, "Thank you, sir." When he reached for a mug, a tremor started in his hand and spread until he was shaking from head to foot again.

"Hey, hey, hey," Jack said, reaching an arm across Ianto's shoulders. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"D-d-don-don't know," Ianto stuttered. "K-k-k-keeps hap-happening."

Jack pulled Ianto close, holding him against the warmth of his body. He reached around Ianto for a mug and tried to pour the coffee. He actually got quite a bit in the mug which he held in front of Ianto. "Here, drink this."

Ianto grasped the mug with two shaking hands and drank a bit of the coffee. The trembling seemed to abate for the moment but Ianto didn't know if it was due to the hot beverage or the fact that Jack was still wrapped around him. He leant against Jack and slowly drained the mug.

"Better?" Jack asked solicitously.

Ianto nodded.

"I think you're just exhausted and probably suffering from shock," Jack said. "Bed. Now."

Nodding again, Ianto started to walk to his usual napping spot on the ancient sofa in the break area. He was stopped by Jack's hold on his elbow. He raised one eyebrow at Ianto. "Did I say 'sofa'? No, I said, 'bed'. Come on." Jack hauled the protesting Ianto into his office and through the hole in the floor to his little room under the Hub. 

"Sir, really, the sofa is fine. You don't need to give up your bed for me!" Ianto was still trying to make Jack see sense.

"I'm not giving it up," Jack said provocatively as he hopped off the ladder and stood right in front of Ianto. He chuckled at the shocked look on Ianto's face. "Relax. I just meant that I wasn't planning to sleep right now anyway." He pulled back the covers and pointed at the mattress. "In!" he said firmly.

Feeling like a naughty school-boy, Ianto sighed and crawled between the sheets. 

"Now, I'll just be up at my desk, so holler if you need anything, okay?" 

"Yes, sir. And… thank you," Ianto said quietly.

Jack nodded once, flicked a switch that dimmed the lights and then climbed the ladder.

Ianto stretched, mindful of his bruises. He curled onto his side and buried his face in Jack's pillow. There was that scent again, stronger here than in the freshly laundered clothes. _Jack_ , he thought. The tremors were almost completely gone now. Ianto relaxed into the mattress and soon drifted off to sleep.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Ianto? Ianto! It's okay, c'mon, come back to me."

He heard Jack's voice but it didn't make any sense. He was trapped, bound and gagged, a bag over his head. A hand on his shoulder. "No!" he cried trying to get away, but the hand pulled him closer. Strong arms around him. "Nonononono!"

"Ianto! Wake up!" Jack sounded upset. He wanted to make Jack feel better but he couldn't move. Couldn't see. _Open your eyes._ Can't see. _Open your eyes._

Ianto forced himself out of the nightmare. He woke up, gasping with terror, to find himself in Jack's bed, in Jack's arms. He clutched at his Captain, trying to assure himself that he had actually woken up. He decided that Jack seemed real enough. And if he wasn't, then he didn't really want to wake up anyway.

Jack held him close, stroking a gentle hand down his back as his breathing slowed to normal. "You all right?" he finally asked when Ianto seemed calm again.

Not trusting his voice, Ianto nodded. He stayed where he was, enjoying the sensation of being draped bonelessly over Jack.

"You've been asleep for a few hours," Jack said. "I've been checking on you and you seemed fine, until you started screaming."

Ianto cringed. Jack was the last person he wanted to know about his nightmares. _Well, maybe second-to-last. God knows what Owen would say_ , Ianto thought with a shudder.

Jack tightened his arms around Ianto. "Would it help to talk?" he asked gently.

Ianto started to shake his head and then sighed. _Maybe it would._ "I was back in that room," he whispered. "God! I can't… I can't take this! How many nightmares can one person have?" he asked with a helpless note in his voice.

Jack didn't answer. He just kept stroking Ianto's back.

"Everyone I love dies, everyone I knew in London, Lisa, Tosh, everyone."

"Tosh didn't die," Jack corrected.

"But she could have."

"But she didn't." 

"But –"

"But she **didn't** ," Jack said. "You saved her. She told me what you did to give her a chance." Ianto flushed and struggled against Jack's arms. Jack released him immediately and sat back on the bed as Ianto stood and began to pace. "It was a very brave thing to do, Ianto."

Ianto shook his head. "No, it wasn't."

Jack just looked at him, a question clearly written across his features.

Ianto took a deep breath. "I was thinking about you. And how if I died saving Tosh then maybe you would think better of me. That's not bravery." Before Jack could speak, Ianto started to shake again. He clasped his hands together but it didn't help. He felt the panic start to flutter in his chest. Gasping for air, he reached for Jack, a mute plea for help.

Jack jumped to his feet and took Ianto's face between his hands, just as he had at the campsite, except this time mindful of the bruises. "Slowly… deep breaths. Focus on me." 

Ianto steadied himself by grabbing Jack's arms as he tried to get control over his body. He was just inches away from Jack again. Inches away from that perfect mouth. Suddenly Ianto was completely calm. Marvelling at his composure, his hands tightened on Jack's arms and he finally closed the gap between them.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack and Ianto finally resovle the sexual tension between them...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Twenty-Four
> 
> Rating: NC-17 for this chapter 
> 
> Chapter Warnings: Sexual situations
> 
> Spoilers: Countrycide (1x6)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for references borrowed from Countrycide. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling. 
> 
> Notes: MASSIVE apologies for the slowness getting this chapter posted. April should be much better!

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Ianto tilted his head to the side and fitted his mouth against Jack's like it was the most natural thing in the world. They were of a height, so there was no awkward stooping or bending. Jack was frozen for a moment, unresponsive to Ianto's soft lips moving across his, then he made a small noise somewhere between a moan and a sigh and kissed Ianto back.

Ianto had pressed his lips against Jack's with no idea what to expect from the other man. The kiss was hesitant and inquisitive at first. He contented himself with brief, feather-light touches of lips, greedily breathing in the soft sighs that came from Jack. Then Jack moaned again and slid his hands into Ianto's hair and took control.

Ianto felt the tip of Jack's tongue against his mouth. It traced the curve of his lips and then gently slipped between them. Ianto echoed Jack's moan and opened to him, sliding his tongue along Jack's as the kiss deepened. He dropped his hands to Jack's waist and pulled the other man closer. Jack responded, wrapping himself around Ianto and stepping forward bit by bit until Ianto was pressed against the ladder. He moaned as the rungs pressed into a bruise on his back, but the hard surface allowed Jack to get even closer and Ianto was suddenly distracted by his cock, rock hard and trapped between their bodies. Before he could register any embarrassment, Jack swivelled his hips in a motion that made Ianto cry out against his lips. _Oh God! He's hard, too,_ Ianto thought in amazement. 

But his outburst seemed to have a dampening effect on Jack's ardour. He froze for a second and then pulled away. He stepped back, leaving Ianto panting and hanging onto the ladder for support.

Jack raised a shaking hand to his mouth. "What... What are you doing?" he asked.

Ianto wished he knew the answer to that question. "I don't know. I just... I want you," he said bluntly. "I've wanted you from the first night I met you." He gave a sharp bark of laughter. "No, that's not true," he amended. He took a step towards Jack who looked at him suspiciously and drew back. Ianto stopped and hung his head, defeated. "I've wanted you from the first time I saw you," he whispered.

"And when was that?" Jack asked curiously, his voice dropping to the lower register that made Ianto's insides melt.

He looked up to meet Jack's eyes. "Almost three years ago, in London. You were visiting Torchwood One."

Whatever Jack had been expecting, that answer seem to surprise him. "Three years… So before you came here, before… everything."

Ianto nodded miserably.

Jack grinned. He crossed his arms over his chest and took a step forward. "Why now? It's not like I haven't given you opportunities."

"I... I don't know," Ianto said, refusing to say Lisa's name right then. "I wasn't... free. And you're my boss... and, well, a **man**... and... "

"Only one of those things has changed, Ianto." Jack took another step forward.

Ianto raised his head again to meet Jack's gaze. "I know, but it's the most important one."

"Are you saying it's **not** important that I'm a man?" Jack asked, a caressing note in his voice now. He took another step forward until he was standing toe-to-toe with Ianto who shrugged.

"Not to me, not in the way you think... not anymore," Ianto said bravely.

"Good," Jack said as he stepped closer, sliding one leg between Ianto's. "'Cause I would really hate for you to change your mind halfway through," he murmured as he pressed his thigh against Ianto's cock which sprang to attention immediately.

Ianto groaned and grabbed fistfuls of Jack's shirt to bring him closer. This time their mouths met with a clash of teeth that was almost painful. There was nothing hesitant about this kiss as Ianto delved into Jack, tongue tasting and exploring, learning the contours of his mouth. Jack returned the kiss just as passionately and not only with his mouth. He pressed into Ianto with his whole body and his hands seemed to be everywhere at once – cupping Ianto's face, stroking his hair, gripping and caressing his arms, sliding around his back to pull him close, dipping down to –

"Oh God," Ianto gasped at Jack slid his hands over Ianto's arse and squeezed.

Jack took advantage of the break in the kiss to run his lips down the column of Ianto's neck, chuckling at his outburst. "'Jack' will do just fine," he murmured against the soft skin just below Ianto's ear.

Shivering a little, Ianto replied, "Not 'sir'?"

Jack snorted. "Kinky, but no. Down here I'm definitely 'Jack', although I do love the way you say 'Oh, God'." He nuzzled Ianto's neck and brought his hands up to stroke Ianto's nipples through his shirt. "I think I'm going to make you say it a lot." He sighed as Ianto whimpered under his hands. "Ohhh and that noise too. I'm gonna need to hear a lot more of that one."

Ianto had lost the ability to form coherent sentences so he didn't even try to reply, he just pulled Jack's head up and kissed him again. Feeling braver by the minute, Ianto slipped his hands between their bodies and started to unbutton Jack's shirt. He took his time – splitting his focus between the buttons and kissing Jack when all the blood in his head was fast rushing away from his brain was more difficult than he would have imagined. When he reached Jack's belt, he hesitated. He leant back from Jack for a moment, swallowing hard. He slowly pulled the shirt free of Jack's trousers and unfastened the last few buttons. 

Jack shifted them so his back was to the ladder now, offering Ianto the lead. With shaking hands, Ianto reached up to slide Jack's braces off his shoulders. He ran his hands down to Jack's wrists where he unfastened the cuffs and then pulled Jack's shirt off, tossing it on a nearby chair. Ianto tugged the front of Jack's t-shirt out of his waistband, but instead of pulling it over his head, he slid his hands under the shirt, around Jack's waist and up his back. He leant in for another kiss, lingering on Jack's mouth as his hands explored Jack's smooth warm skin. He brought his hands around to Jack's chest, mimicking his earlier motions. As he ran his thumbs around Jack's nipples, he heard the most delicious moan fall from his lips. 

He pulled back from the kiss to watch the passion play across Jack's face, amazed. As he tweaked and stroked the taut peaks under his fingers, he realised he'd never thought about this part of it all. He'd thought about how he would feel if Jack ever touched him like this and he'd thought about how he would feel if **he** ever got to touch Jack, but he had never even considered what Jack might feel. When Jack moaned again and bucked his hips, Ianto was glad he'd never thought about it, because nothing could have come close to the glory of watching Captain Jack Harkness in the throes of pleasure.

Suddenly desperate for more, Ianto pushed Jack's t-shirt up and replaced his fingers with his mouth. Jack gasped and brought his hands up to Ianto's hair, threading his fingers through the dark waves, unruly from the shower. His breathing became even more erratic, gasps and groans pulled from him as he was tormented by Ianto's lips and tongue and teeth. 

Ianto was dizzy from the sounds Jack was making. From the sounds he was causing. _I did that,_ he thought when Jack groaned and bit his lower lip. _I want more._ He began to kiss and nibble his way down Jack's torso until he was kneeling in front of the Captain, ignoring the flash pain in his right knee. He was unfastening Jack's belt with hands that were no longer shaking when he felt Jack stop him. He glanced up to see worry in the intense blue gaze. He smiled and, hoping to communicate his desires, leant forward to press his face into Jack's groin. He nuzzled the rather impressive erection he found there, thinking that it seemed much larger face to face. Ianto called upon dim memories of what he enjoyed in this situation and exhaled a hot breath across the fabric straining over Jack's cock. He heard a strangled sound from above his head and felt Jack's hands fall away from his belt. Ianto hummed his appreciation and was rewarded with another gasp.

He sat back on his heels as he finished opening Jack's trousers. He glanced up to see Jack looking down at him again, this time his eyes filled with desire instead of concern. Ianto settled his hands at Jack's waist and slid them up to his chest in a long smooth stroke, nudging the hem of the t-shirt which had fallen slightly over one firm pec. Jack growled low in his throat and yanked the shirt over his head with one hand. He brought his hands up to cup Ianto's face. His thumb was so close that Ianto couldn't resist turning his head and drawing it into his mouth. Never taking his eyes from Jack, Ianto teased the digit with his tongue and teeth, sucking it hard to give Jack a preview. 

When Jack's eyes rolled back in his head, Ianto grinned and let his thumb slip from his mouth. He hooked his own thumbs in the waistband of Jack's briefs and pulled them down just far enough to free his cock. Ianto swallowed hard. _Is this really happening?_ he wondered. He felt Jack's hand in his hair again and glanced up. He could tell Jack was about to say something stupid along the lines of 'you don't have to do this' so he leant forward and gently swirled his tongue around the head of Jack's cock. Jack's hand clenched in his hair and Ianto shuddered. He opened his lips and slowly slid Jack in to the wet heat of his mouth.

 _This feels good,_ he thought as he began to bob his head up and down the shaft. _This feels right._ He wrapped his right hand around the base to steady it and he gripped Jack's hip with his left to steady himself. _Oh God, he tastes as good as he smells!_ Ianto hummed with pleasure and felt Jack's hands clench again. Ianto hollowed his cheeks and sucked harder, trying to translate what he knew felt good to receive into the language of giving. He was so focused that he got carried away and took Jack so deep that he choked himself. He blinked back tears and tried to keep going, but Jack pulled him to his feet and wrapped his arms around him, kissing him thoroughly.

Ianto felt the bed bump into the backs of his legs before he was even aware they were moving. Jack raised his head and whispered, "Lie down." 

As he obeyed, Ianto watched Jack move quickly around the room. He dimmed the lights he had turned on earlier, took off his wrist-strap and watch, and grabbed some things from the bathroom which he set on the dressing table by the bed. When he had finished, he stood by the bed for a moment, just looking down at Ianto. Wondering what was going through Jack's mind, Ianto raised himself up on his elbows. Jack smiled reassuringly and kicked off his boots. He pushed his trousers the rest of the way down and pulled his socks off at the same time, standing in front of Ianto completely naked.

Ianto caught his breath. "Beautiful," he murmured. He immediately flushed when he realised that he'd spoken aloud.

Jack grinned and leant down for a kiss. As Ianto lay back he drew Jack down with him until they were stretched out on the bed, Jack's body covering his. They kissed for some time, soft, quick touches of lips followed by deep breath-stealing kisses that left them gasping. Ianto ran his hands over Jack's flesh as if trying to memorise the landscape of his back – the spots that made him flinch and chuckle into Ianto's mouth, the smooth planes of muscle, the long channel of his spine, the fascinating dip at his waist which sloped into his perfect arse. Jack moaned as Ianto's hands explored further down, caressing the firm curves he found there. 

When Ianto ran a hesitant finger down the cleft of Jack's arse, Jack arched his back and hissed with pleasure. He pulled himself upright so he was straddling Ianto's hips and tugged Ianto's shirt over his head. He drew in a sharp breath and stared down at the younger man's torso.

"Oh, Ianto," he whispered, ghosting his hands over the bruises marring Ianto's pale skin.

Ianto glanced down. He had almost forgotten his injuries. Worried that Jack might want to stop, Ianto reached up to bury his hand in Jack's thick hair as he pulled him down for a deep kiss. "It doesn't matter," Ianto said softly. "Doesn't matter, kiss me."

Jack complied, kissing Ianto with such tenderness that it almost brought tears to his eyes. He leant up to kiss the cut on Ianto's forehead, tracing a line of kisses down the bruised side of his face to the cut on his neck. He could feel Jack's sigh against his skin as he kissed the long line made by the cleaver only hours before. Then he sat up again and ran two warm hands over Ianto's chest, pausing for a moment to tease his nipples again. He slid his hands down to the drawstring of the pyjama bottoms and untied it quickly. Leaning down to kiss Ianto again, Jack pulled the soft flannel down as far as he could and then twisted to pull them off completely, divesting Ianto of his socks as well. 

Jack rolled to his side and just looked at Ianto for a moment. Ianto felt his cock twitch under the intense observation and wondered if he might be able to come without Jack ever touching him at all. 

Jack sighed and ran a light hand across Ianto's chest. "Still too thin," he murmured, "but so gorgeous." He dipped his hand lower and cupped Ianto's balls, caressing them gently.

Ianto groaned and tried desperately not to come. Jack raised his hand to stroke from the base to the tip of Ianto's cock. Ianto cried out and tried to brush Jack's hand away.

Concerned, Jack asked, "What is it? Did I hurt you?"

Ianto shook his head. He gasped, "No! Too good! If you touch me right now I'm going to come."

Jack grinned. "You say that like it's a bad thing," he murmured, nuzzling Ianto's ear.

"I... I don't want this to be over yet."

Laughing as he kissed his way across Ianto's chest, Jack said, "And who says it's over the minute you come? We have all afternoon, Ianto, and all night, and all day again if you want. In fact," Jack continued as he kissed the top of Ianto's thigh, "I **want** you to come right now. I want to taste you. I want to hear 'Oh God' in that beautiful Welsh accent." And without any further preamble, Jack swallowed Ianto's cock.

"Oh God!" Ianto cried out. He lasted precisely six seconds before he exploded down Jack's throat. "Ohgodohgodohgod," he chanted as Jack kept working his cock as it emptied, swallowing every drop and then licking and nipping his way carefully up Ianto's chest.

He hesitated for a moment when he was beside Ianto again, but Ianto didn't need the coddling. He reached for him and buried his mouth in Jack's, moaning at the taste of himself on Jack's tongue. He slipped his hand between their bodies to grasp Jack's cock, making the other man groan into his mouth.

"Okay, I know what I just said about having all day, but if you're up for what I have planned next you're going to have to stop that."

"Oh yeah?" Ianto teased, squeezing gently, chuckling when Jack groaned again and pressed his face into Ianto's shoulder. "And just what do you have planned?" he asked as he released Jack's cock.

Ianto felt Jack's lips against his neck. "Well," Jack whispered. "I really want to fuck you."

Ianto shuddered and wrapped himself around Jack. Without speaking, he nodded.

Jack pulled back slightly, trying to see Ianto's face. "You sure?"

"Yeah... yes. I just... just go slow, okay?" Ianto asked, hating the anxious note in his voice.

"Hey, hey, hey," Jack said cradling Ianto's face between his hands and dropping kisses on his cheeks, his brow, his nose. "Remember what I said? I want to hear lots of 'oh gods' from you. And lots more of that lovely sound you made when I did this." Jack ran his thumb around Ianto's nipple and Ianto whimpered again. "Ahhh, yes, **that** sound. I plan on discovering all the sexy noises you make and I can only do that if I take my time and make sure you enjoy every... single... second," Jack said, kissing Ianto between words. 

Completely undone by Jack's words and touch, Ianto pressed his body to Jack and kissed him fiercely. 

As he plundered Ianto's mouth, Jack rolled him up on his side. Thinking he knew what was coming, Ianto tried to continue rolling onto his stomach, but Jack's bulk stopped him. Jack raised his head from the kiss to give Ianto a questioning look. Ianto blushed and said haltingly, "I thought... I mean... Should I...?"

Jack smiled. "Actually that gives me a fantastic idea." He gave Ianto a quick kiss as he moved out of the way. Once Ianto was on his stomach, Jack straddled his hips, careful not to bump any of his bruises. He leant down to kiss the back of Ianto's neck. "We need to be clear on something, okay?"

Ianto shivered at the feel of Jack's lips on his ear. He nodded. "What's that?"

"You don't like something, we stop. You don't want to do something, we stop. Your injuries bother you **at all** , we stop. Got it?" Jack asked with a slight edge in his voice.

Ianto nodded again. "Yes, sir."

Jack snorted in his ear. "Hey! None of that 'sir' stuff!" he said, giving Ianto a light slap on his arse.

Chuckling a little, Ianto wiggled his arse and said, "Yes, sir." He got another smack and wiggled some more.

"Kinky bastard," Jack muttered as he kissed his way down Ianto's spine. "It's always the quiet ones."

Ianto laughed again but the sound turned to a surprised gasp when Jack reached his goal. He felt Jack's hands slide up from his thighs to grasp his buttocks, massaging them and gently pulling them apart. Jack continued his trail of kisses, licking and nipping the sensitive skin of Ianto's arse. Ianto had just started to relax into the sensation when he felt Jack's tongue at the top of his cleft. _Oh God,_ he thought as Jack started to drag his tongue down. _Oh, God!_ Ianto thought as he felt Jack's breath against his arse. "Oh, God!" he yelled as Jack's warm, wet tongue circled his opening.

He felt Jack chuckle against his arse which made him squirm even more. He was panting, hands scrabbling on the sheets trying to raise his hips to meet Jack's mouth. Jack slipped an arm under Ianto, lifting him a little bit as he continued to tease him. Ianto felt his cock spring to attention under the skilful ministrations of Jack's tongue. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this hard this soon after an orgasm. _Maybe never,_ he thought distractedly. 

All too soon, Jack was kissing his way back up Ianto's body. He licked and nibbled his way across Ianto's back, once again avoiding any injured areas. He nuzzled Ianto's neck as he rolled him over and then continued to kiss his way over Ianto's chest again. He used his tongue and teeth to torture Ianto's nipples, this time concentrating on one until Ianto thought he would scream, and then moving to the other, smiling against Ianto's skin every time he heard that delicious whimper.

Jack sat up and snagged a little bottle off the dressing table. He leant back down to kiss Ianto as his hand slid slowly down, across his cock, over his balls until he was resting right against the opening to his body. Jack kept kissing him, heady, dizzying kisses that had Ianto clutching at him. Soon, Ianto felt the hand between his legs move, rubbing against him gently at first, then with more purpose.

When Ianto moaned into the kiss, Jack reached for the little bottle and squeezed some lubricant on his fingers. He hurriedly returned his hand to its former position and Ianto felt a cool fingertip rub soothingly and then slip inside him.

He gasped at the intrusion, even knowing it was coming. Jack stilled his hand and gave Ianto a moment to adjust to this new feeling. Ianto held on to Jack's shoulders and took deep breaths. It didn't hurt, it just felt… _odd_ was the word that sprang to mind. He nodded to Jack and pulled him down for another kiss. Jack continued to ease his finger into Ianto's body very slowly, kissing him thoroughly the whole time. Ianto felt his body relax around Jack. Then he felt Jack begin to move, just shallow little thrusts that felt incredible. He could feel himself not just relax, but open to Jack. And then Jack crooked his finger and Ianto cried out, a sound halfway between a moan and a sob.

"Oooo, I like that one," Jack murmured in his ear.

"Wh-what?" Ianto gasped.

"That noise," Jack said, crooking his finger again. Ianto bucked against his hand and cried out again. "Mmmm... I wonder if it will be even better when it's my cock making you sound like that," he said musingly.

Ianto couldn't reply, he just grabbed Jack's head and brought him closer for a bruising kiss. While Ianto buried himself in Jack's mouth, Jack buried two fingers in Ianto's arse. 

While he thrust and scissored his fingers gently, Jack pulled his mouth free to look at Ianto. "Oh, you were made for this, Ianto. Your whole body is flushed, your lips are swollen from kissing me, you're so beautiful."

Ianto wanted to say something flippant to lighten the moment – the intensity in Jack's voice, in his eyes was too much – but all he could say was, "More!"

Groaning, Jack obliged, adding a third finger. Ianto was lost to anything but the sensation of Jack around him, inside him. He was thrusting against Jack's hands like a cat in heat and all he could think was _more._

"God! I can't... I won't last much longer," Jack moaned. "Need to be inside you."

"Yes! Yes, now Jack!"

Jack moaned again and pulled his hand away. Ianto watched him through half-closed eyes as he quickly wiped his hand on the sheet and then squeezed more lubricant into his hand. Jack glanced up and caught Ianto's eye. He smiled a wicked smile and reached for Ianto's hand.

"Why don't you do the honours," he said. He transferred most of the slick to Ianto's hand. Ianto glanced down at Jack's cock and licked his lips. Jack groaned at the sight and then groaned again when Ianto reached down to coat his cock. When he was finished, Jack caught him in a deep kiss and then whispered, "Lie back," in a tone that made Ianto's cock twitch in response. 

Jack pulled one of Ianto's legs over his shoulder and lined himself up. Jack looked up, staring intently at Ianto's face as he pushed just the head of his cock inside. Ianto gasped out loud and Jack stopped.

"Okay?" he asked.

Ianto nodded. He canted his hips forward a tiny bit and Jack slid a little deeper. They both gasped that time. Jack smiled and turned his head to place a soft kiss on Ianto's calf. "Okay," he said and then inch by inch slid inside Ianto's welcoming heat until he was fully sheathed, never once taking his eyes from Ianto.

Taking a shaky breath, Jack stilled and waited for Ianto to adjust to him. Ianto was breathing hard as well, trying to process all the new sensations at once. He felt stretched to the limit, impossibly full, but _oh so good_. He raised his hips in an experimental thrust and moaned at the result. Jack must have taken that as the go-ahead because he started to move. Very slowly, he withdrew almost completely and then very, very slowly he sank back into Ianto. The pace was torturous but Ianto knew Jack didn't want to hurt him. However, when Jack showed no inclination to speed things up, Ianto decided to take matters into his own hands. 

The next time Jack thrust into him, he squeezed his muscles around Jack's cock. The result was immediate and favourable. Crying out, Jack closed his eyes and gripped Ianto's hips as he thrust hard several times, drawing a blissful cry from the younger man. He paused and then leant his head against Ianto's calf.

Opening one eye, he glared down at Ianto. "That was a dirty trick," he breathed.

Ianto did it again, grinning at Jack's expression. "I won't break, Jack. You feel so good, I want more."

Jack closed his eyes and pulled out a little ways. When he pushed back in, he swivelled his hips and changed the angle of penetration. Ianto saw stars. "Like that?" Jack asked, thrusting in again.

"God, yes! Please Jack!"

Jack didn't reply with words, he just grasped Ianto's hips and kept thrusting. He abandoned himself to the feelings and pounded into Ianto who met him thrust for thrust. Ianto reached behind his head and griped the edge of the mattress for leverage. Jack was hitting his prostate over and over again, making him whimper and moan as he got closer and closer.

"God, Ianto. Gonna come... can't... come with me!" Jack pleaded, wrapping a hand around Ianto's straining cock. 

At the touch of Jack's hand, Ianto exploded, his orgasm ripping through him with a force that left him breathless. His whole body seized, clenching around Jack who cried out as he surged inside Ianto for a few more thrusts. They were locked together, shuddering through aftershocks for several long moments. Then, as they both came back to awareness, Jack released his death grip on Ianto's hip and sighed. He gave Ianto's calf another quick kiss before he lowered his leg back to the bed. Ianto grimaced a little as Jack pulled out of him and then reached back for a towel. He leant over Ianto and gave him a toe-curling kiss before quickly cleaning them up. 

Ianto stretched and started to get up when Jack returned to the bed. He laid down beside Ianto and pulled him into his arms. "And where do you think you're going?" he asked as he ran his hand through Ianto's sweat-damp hair.

"I... well, you... I don't know," Ianto finished lamely.

"Sudden desire to file something?"

"No," Ianto said a blush staining his cheeks.

Jack turned serious. "Please stay."

Ianto stared at him for a moment. All the times he'd imagined having sex with Jack, he'd never imagined Jack would want to cuddle after. He found that he was very glad to have been wrong. "Yes, sir," he said as he turned and spooned into Jack's warm body.

He felt Jack's breath of laughter ruffle his hair. "What am I gonna do with you?" he teased. Jack eased his arm across Ianto's chest and draped a leg over his thigh.

"More of that, I hope," Ianto whispered.

"Oh yeah," Jack murmured close to his ear.

Ianto turned his head for one last kiss before drifting off.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack and Ianto spend a little time basking in the new developments in their relationship...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Twenty-Five
> 
> Rating: NC-17 for this chapter 
> 
> Chapter Warnings: Sexual situations
> 
> Spoilers: Countrycide (1x6)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for references borrowed from Countrycide. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

Jack and Ianto dozed for a few hours, wrapped together in Jack's small bed. When Ianto came fully awake, three things sprang immediately to his mind: one, Jack was incredibly warm; two, he ached in places he didn't even know he had; and three, _oh my God, I slept with my boss!_

He lay very still, wondering if Jack was awake, wondering what he thought about what had happened between them, wondering what time it was, wondering if there was any food in the Hub, wondering...

"I can hear you thinking," Jack murmured.

Ianto jumped. He felt Jack's lips on his neck, kissing him sleepily. "Sorry," he whispered.

Jack chuckled and pulled Ianto tight up against his body. "S'okay." He yawned. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Ianto muttered.

"Liar."

Ianto tensed and Jack drew in a quick breath. Cuddling Ianto even closer, Jack said, "Sorry, I didn't mean..." He sighed. "We still have a ways to go, don't we?"

Feeling wretched, Ianto shook his head. "No, it's fine. I just –"

"It's okay, Ianto. Sex doesn't fix everything, even great sex." Jack scooted Ianto onto his back and rolled to face him. "How do you feel?"

"Fine, a little stiff," Ianto replied. Jack waggled his eyebrows suggestively at that comment and Ianto blushed. "You know what I mean!"

Jack smiled and asked, "Do you need some painkillers? They're still on my desk."

"No, it's not that bad."

"Hot shower?"

"Sounds good."

"Company?" Jack asked hesitantly.

Ianto leant forward to capture his mouth in a kiss. "Sounds good," he repeated.

Jack hopped off the bed and pulled Ianto up after him. "Shower's through there," he said pointing. "I'm gonna run upstairs and check on the monitors. Back in a sec."

Ianto took advantage of the privacy to use the toilet before he turned on the water. He made a quick inventory of his injuries in the full length mirror, noting that a few more bruises had appeared but nothing looked significantly worse. He ran his hand over four new marks on the back of his hip that looked suspiciously like fingerprints. He grinned at his reflection. 

When the water was warm enough, he stepped under the spray, hissing as the stream hit his tender skin. He braced his hands on the wall and let the water beat down on his head for a few moments. _"How do you feel?"_ Jack's question bounced around his brain. _How **do** I feel?_ he wondered. Being with Jack was everything he had ever imagined and then some _and then some more,_ he thought with a smile, _but now what?_

His reverie was cut short by a blast of scalding water. "Christ!" he yelped as he hopped out of the spray. He opened the shower door to see Jack washing his hands. 

"Sorry about that, I didn't know it would be that bad," Jack said apologetically. "You know, I'm never in there when I flush and I haven't had guests in... oh, quite some time." Jack sauntered over to the shower and asked, "Room for one more?"

Ianto smiled and stepped back to let Jack in. He was immediately pressed against the cool tile as Jack had apparently decided that the first thing to be cleaned was Ianto's tonsils. Ianto could feel his tired body responding with embarrassing quickness to Jack's assault on his mouth. Jack moaned and swivelled his hips into Ianto's.

"God, Jack," Ianto gasped between kisses. "I feel like I'm seventeen around you. How do you do that?"

"It's a gift," Jack laughed, reaching down to pull Ianto's arms over his head. He pinned his wrists to the tile with one hand as he stroked Ianto's neck with the other. He kissed him again and let his hand trail down Ianto's body until it reached his hardening cock. A few deft strokes and Ianto was gasping into his mouth.

"What do you say we get dirty before we get clean?" Jack whispered.

"God, yes!" Ianto agreed. 

Still holding Ianto in place, Jack stepped forward until their cocks were aligned. He set his palm alongside Ianto's cock and wrapped his hand around both of them. He slowly stroked, thrusting against Ianto as he did. Ianto practically mewed.

"Ohhh, that was a good one," Jack murmured as he mouthed Ianto's jaw, kissing his way up to his lips. "Here, give me a hand," he said as he released Ianto's arms. He grabbed Ianto's right hand and placed it against his cock, mirroring his hand. Fingers entwined, they thrust against each other at an agonisingly slow pace. Ianto couldn't decide where to look – at their hands joined around their cocks or at Jack's face suffused with pleasure. He settled for closing his eyes and using his free hand to pull Jack's head to his for a languid kiss that matched the tempo of their thrusts. They were both moaning and breathing hard in just a few minutes. Ianto noticed that Jack's hips were stuttering and that his own thrusts had gotten careless as they both neared their orgasms.

Jack shook the water out of his eyes and gasped, "Together?" 

"I'll try!" Ianto panted, leaning his forehead against Jack's.

They increased the pressure of their hands and sped up their thrusts, moving in perfect counterpoint to one another. 

"God! Ianto, now!"

"Jack!" Ianto cried out as he joined his Captain in a powerful orgasm, coating both their bellies.

Jack drew Ianto into his arms as they both leant on each other, breathing hard. Once their hearts had stopped racing, Ianto tilted his head so the spray was running over his face for a moment. He brushed the water from his eyes and then looked down.

"You weren't kidding," he said, drawing a finger through the fluids mixed together on his torso.

Jack laughed and pressed his chest to Ianto's, rubbing them together. "Makes getting clean more fun when you get really dirty first."

"You're always really dirty," Ianto said dryly as he reached for the shampoo. Jack moved at the same time and Ianto winced as Jack knocked into his ribs.

Apologising, Jack moved Ianto to one side of the shower. "You? Don't move." He grabbed the shampoo and squeezed a dollop into his hand. He massaged it into Ianto's hair, careful not to bump the cut on his head. Ianto groaned and leant into his hands. 

"Feels good," he murmured. 

"Good," Jack answered and dropped a kiss on Ianto's nose. "Rinse," he said as he manoeuvred Ianto carefully under the water. As Ianto rinsed his hair, Jack lathered up a cloth and started to scrub his shoulders. He pulled him out from under the spray so he could soap up his whole body, taking care not to press too hard on his injuries. When Jack came across the new finger-shaped bruises on Ianto's hip, he paused for a moment and ran his hand gently over them.

"Sorry," he said in a rough voice. 

Ianto craned around to see what Jack was talking about. He chuckled and reached behind him to cover Jack's hand. "Don't be. Those bruises?" Ianto turned and draped his arms over Jack's shoulders. "Those bruises, I like," he said as he pressed his mouth to Jack.

Jack kept kissing Ianto as he moved him back under the spray and rinsed the soap from his body. By the time Ianto was soap-free they were both hard again and panting into the other's mouth.

"God, what are you doing to me, Ianto?" Jack asked.

"Me? How is this my fault?" Ianto retorted.

"You're too adorable," Jack complained kissing him again. He finally broke the kiss and just held Ianto for a moment. "Tell you what," Jack said in a low voice. "Are you hungry?"

Ianto thought about it and was surprised at the answer. "Yeah, starving actually."

"Good. Why don't you take that distracting body upstairs and order us some pizza or something while I finish in here. Otherwise we'll never get out and Owen will find us in a week all pruney and shivering 'cause the hot water ran out."

Ianto laughed. "Wouldn't want that now would we?" He gave Jack one last kiss and groaned a little as their hips pressed together.

"Out!" Jack hollered as he smiled. "Or I'm gonna have you up against that tile before you can blink."

"Yes, sir!" Ianto said with a cheeky grin as he slid the shower door shut.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Ianto towelled off quickly and pulled on his borrowed clothes. He called the new pizza place he'd found recently and ordered a large New York style cheese pizza. Hopefully Jack was okay with no toppings because there was no way he was eating meat for a while, if ever again. After he placed the call, he sat on the sofa for a few minutes still trying to process everything that had happened. He shook his head. He decided he was over-thinking the situation. _For once in my life, I'm just going to let whatever happens happen,_ he swore.

Jack popped up out of his office as Ianto was heading upstairs. "What did you get?"

"Cheese pizza."

"Cheese? Hmm, actually that sounds pretty good. Beer?" he asked as he walked up to the kitchen area.

"Yeah, thanks. Be right back," he said as he opened the cog door. 

He only had to wait a minute or two for the delivery boy and the pizza was still steaming when he got it back downstairs. Jack was sitting on the sofa and waved him over as he came through the door.

"Wouldn't the conference room be a better place to eat?" Ianto asked.

"Nah," Jack replied taking the box from Ianto so he could sit down. "It's just pizza."

They ended up sitting facing each other, cross-legged on the sofa with the pizza box balanced between them on their knees. Jack was soon giving Ianto pizza-eating pointers.

"No, no, no. You have to fold it in half, like this," he said, demonstrating.

"And why would I want to do that?" Ianto said taking a small bite of his slice.

"Because then you can eat one handed and not worry about it flopping," Jack said.

"Hmm," Ianto said. He tried to fold his piece but the crust was too crispy.

Jack leant up over the box, "No, see you just break it and then – "

The alarm sounded as the door rolled back, revealing a very distracted Owen. 

"Jack! Jack, you here?" Owen was dialling his phone as he walked towards Jack's office without looking up. "Jack! Dammit! Have you heard from Ianto? I went over to check on him but he wasn't home and the git isn't answering his mobile. Jack!" Owen finally turned around saw Jack and Ianto on the sofa. "There you are!" he yelled stomping over to them. "Where the hell have you been? Why isn't your mobile on? What if there was an emergency?"

Ianto swallowed his bite of pizza and said, "If there was an emergency, I wouldn't need my phone because I'm already here." 

"That's not the point!" Owen ran a hand through his hair. "I've been trying to check on you and you're nowhere to be found."

"How many places did you look?" Ianto asked as he continued to eat his now properly folded pizza.

Owen opened his mouth to retort but then suddenly looked sheepish. "Uh... well, your place and here."

Jack and Ianto both laughed and Owen reluctantly joined in. "Alright, fine, I'm a twat. Give us some pizza."

Ianto offered the box to Owen as he sat down on the coffee table. He asked Ianto how he was feeling as he took a bite of his slice.

"Fine all things considered. I slept for a while and then took another hot shower, that seemed to help," Ianto said.

"No dizziness or nausea?"

Ianto, who was busy taking a bite of his pizza, rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Jack spoke up. "He's been fine, Owen. No signs of a concussion or any internal injuries."

"You've been keeping an eye on him? Good man. Hey, is there more beer in the fridge?" 

Owen went to investigate the kitchen area and Jack nudged Ianto with his knee and winked.

Ianto rolled his eyes again, but grinned back nonetheless.

After the three of them finished off the pizza, Owen offered to give Ianto a lift home.

"No thanks, Owen. I've got my car here."

"You should be home, resting. And taking your painkillers," Owen said.

"I don't like them, they make me sleepy."

"You should be sleepy. You should be slee **ping**."

"I'm a grownup, Owen, I'll go to sleep when I feel like it."

"Yeah? Well, I'm a **doctor** , Ianto, and I'm telling you – "

"Hey!" Jack broke in. "Owen, have you checked on Gwen? How is she?"

Owen's face went white and then red. "Gwen? Uh... dunno, haven't seen her. I mean, I have **seen** her, of course, checked in a while ago and she was fine, fine, yeah so... Ianto? Get some rest. Thanks for the pizza. Later!" And he practically ran from the Hub.

Jack and Ianto stared at each other for a moment. Jack burst into laughter. "What the hell was that? I just wanted to get him off your back."

Ianto shrugged. "The day I understand why Owen does anything will be a very strange day."

Jack chuckled. He sat back on the sofa and motioned for Ianto to join him, arranging them so Ianto was lying on his back with his head in Jack's lap. Jack ran a hand through Ianto's hair. "He's right, though. You should try to get some sleep."

Ianto opened his eyes. He reached up to trace Jack's lower lip with his finger. "I might be talked into going to back to bed, but I won't promise I'll sleep."

Jack caught the finger between his teeth and bit gently. "Oh yeah? You sure? Not too sore?"

"Haven't you been listening? I'm okay, really, I –" Ianto broke off when Jack raised an eyebrow. He felt his cheeks go pink. "Oh. You mean... no, I mean yes. I mean, no! Not too sore, I... Oh God!" He rolled on to his side, hiding his face in Jack's shirt.

Jack laughed and stroked Ianto's back. "I'll make you a deal," he offered.

"What's that?" Ianto's voice was muffled.

"I promise I'll take you back to bed and do **everything** in my power to wear you out, but after that you have to promise to sleep."

Ianto shivered. "Deal," he said.

"Good," Jack stood up, pulling Ianto off the sofa and into his arms. "Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun," he purred.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto realizes that he and Jack forgot something...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Twenty-Six
> 
> Rating: R for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Countrycide (1x6)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for references borrowed from Countrycide. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

By the time Ianto let himself back into his flat, he'd been gone for more than 72 hours. _Three days,_ he thought. And so much had changed. 

He dropped onto his sofa and stretched out with his arms behind his head and a smile on his lips. He felt good. He hadn't felt this good in... _almost a year,_ he thought with a touch of sadness. _So long..._

Refusing to let memories of the past ruin his euphoria, he pulled himself up with a groan and headed for his bedroom. He stripped off his laundered camping clothes and threw them in the bin. He'd been able to put them back on for the drive home but that was all. He never wanted them to touch his skin again. Thinking of things touching his skin made him think of Jack.

He grinned and slid between the sheets naked. He ran a hand down over his chest, imagining it was Jack touching him. With a groan, he curled on his side, already missing Jack's warm body behind him. 

Leaving the Hub that evening had been hard, but Ianto knew he needed a good night's sleep before returning to work. And he knew there was no way he'd get that in Jack's bed. After Jack had worn him out as promised, they had slept for a while as promised, but Jack's bed was small and while sleeping tangled up together was enjoyable, it wasn't conducive to real rest. They woke up every few hours throughout the night, sometimes waking to have sex, sometimes just to kiss and cuddle for a while before they dozed off again. The two days they spent together in the Hub were the happiest in recent memory for both of them.

Ianto finally fell asleep, alone in his big bed, thinking of Jack.

His alarm went off at 6:30 the next morning. Ianto hit the off button and dragged himself to the shower, realising as he walked that he felt a lot better. The smaller bruises were starting to fade to that ugly yellow which meant they were healing. He poked at the bigger bruises gently and was pleased to find they didn't hurt as much anymore. When he was finished in the shower, he checked his back in the mirror and found it in about the same condition. 

He opened up the medicine cabinet to pull out his toothbrush and toothpaste. He held the brush loosely in his mouth as he put the toothpaste back on the little shelf next to... _Oh God,_ he thought. His hand moved to the box on the shelf. The box of condoms. _Oh God!_ he thought again. _Six, no seven times,_ he thought, _and not once... oh God!_

He brushed his teeth quickly and got dressed, trying not to think about what it meant. _How could I forget? How could I not think of it? What the fuck was I thinking?_

_Well, that was the problem, now wasn't it?_ the little voice in his head chastised him. _You weren't thinking. The real question is why didn't Jack think of it. What does that mean? What does that say about him? About you?_

Ianto stormed out of his flat and into his car. As he sped to the Hub he tried not to think about it. _Have to get tested, won't that be fun? I'm **not** telling Owen, I'll go to a clinic. Stupid, stupid!_

He was glad to see he was the first one in as usual. He tried to get himself under control as he rode the lift down to the Hub. _Don't fly off the handle, just ask him. Don't get angry._

The cog door rolled back and suddenly Ianto couldn't do it, he couldn't confront Jack. Instead he headed for the coffee maker, the familiar routine soothing his rumpled spirit.

Jack must have smelled the coffee brewing because he was out of his office the second Ianto had the first mug filled. His face lit up with a heartbreakingly beautiful smile when he saw Ianto. As he crossed the Hub, he looked casually around to make sure they were alone.

"Good morning, gorgeous," he said when he reached Ianto. He leant in for a kiss but Ianto flinched. Narrowing his eyes, Jack asked, "What is it?"

"Nothing. I just... I... wedidn'tuseacondom," Ianto blurted out and then covered his mouth, shocked that he'd actually said it. 

Jack tensed. "Ah. I'm sorry about that, I should have talked to you about it but everything just happened so fast and it's been so long..."

Ianto just stared at him, mortified.

"Hey, stop that," Jack ordered, pulling Ianto's hand from his mouth. "It's a valid question, I'm just trying to figure out how to explain it." He ran a hand through his hair. "Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Yes," Ianto said with no hesitation.

Jack smiled. "You really are amazing, Ianto Jones." He looked lost in thought for a moment and then focused again. "Okay, then I need to you take my word that there is no way I can infect you with anything and there's no way you can give me anything either."

"How is that possible?" Ianto asked.

Jack grimaced, "It's not something I can explain easily so I just need you to trust me for now. But since it **is** true," his smile turned wicked, "why not enjoy it?"

Ianto looked at him for a long moment. It has always been his job to take care of the protection with Lisa and he still couldn't believe it hadn't crossed his mind to ask before they'd had sex. But he did trust Jack. He knew he wouldn't lie to him. 

Before he could answer, Jack added, looking concerned, "It's not a big deal. We'll get some. I just didn't have anything here and then things started happening..." 

"Jack, it's fine. I just freaked out for a moment. It's not like I **like** the bloody things, it's just... what you do," he said, waving his hand lamely. "If you say it's safe, then it's safe."

Jack grinned and leant forward to grasp Ianto's face between both hands. "Now can I have a kiss?"

Ianto stepped forward, pressing his body into Jack's. A split second before their lips touched, the alarm on the cog door blared through the Hub. Ianto stepped back so quickly that he rammed his hip into the counter. Cursing softly, he busied himself with the coffee maker again as Gwen and Owen entered the Hub.

Their heated conversation stopped dead the moment they saw Jack and Ianto.

"Uh... morning!" Owen called as he gave Gwen a little shove, putting some distance between them. "Jack, stop molesting Ianto long enough for him to finish the coffee, will ya?" 

Jack grinned and stepped close behind Ianto as he reached for his mug. "Can't help myself, Owen. It's the suits. They drive me crazy."

"Like I've said before, you're a sick man, Harkness," Owen said as he headed for his workstation.

Ianto flushed beet red as he felt Jack give his arse a good squeeze before he walked away with his coffee. He poured himself a cup and followed at a respectable distance.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto finds himself unexpectedly plagued with nightmares again...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Twenty-Seven
> 
> Rating: NC-17 for this chapter 
> 
> Chapter Warnings: Sexual situations
> 
> Spoilers: Countrycide (1x6)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for references borrowed from Countrycide. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

The day passed uneventfully, not even a weevil sighting to call them away from their desks and everyone seemed grateful for the quiet. When they started wrapping up a little after six, Tosh asked if anyone fancied a drink. The other four members of the team were silent for a moment. Ianto was about to agree that a drink sounded good, when Jack spoke.

"Sorry, Tosh, not tonight. I need Ianto to stay late and get this UNIT paperwork sorted for me. I've made a mess of it as usual."

Ianto glared at him. "Guess that counts me out, Tosh," he apologised with a shrug. "Maybe next time?"

"Sure thing," she said. "Gwen? Owen?"

"Ah, I really need to get home to Rhys," Gwen said, darting a guilty look at Owen. 

Ianto raised an eyebrow. _Surely not,_ he thought. _But then again, it is Owen…_

"And I've got plans, Tosh," Owen said.

"Well, no harm in asking. Have a good night everyone," Tosh called out as she hurried through the door.

Ianto watched Gwen and Owen carefully as they gathered up their jackets. They started for the door at the same time and then stopped. Owen motioned for Gwen to go in front of him at the same time she did the same thing. They started at the same time again and both laughed uncomfortably. Gwen glanced up at Jack who was standing in the doorway to his office, watching them with an amused look in his face. Blushing, Gwen finally headed for the door with Owen trailing along after her.

After they were gone, Jack and Ianto's eyes met.

"You don't think..." Jack started.

Ianto shrugged. "None of my business."

Jack laughed. "So you do think. Interesting."

"Did you really mess up that UNIT file?" Ianto asked.

"Would I do that?" Jack asked as he motioned to Ianto to join him.

Crossing the Hub slowly, Ianto replied, "I think you're very capable of messing up a perfectly ordered file just by looking at it, sir."

Jack reached for him as soon as he was at arm's length. He pulled Ianto to him and rested his hands on his hips. "I haven't touched it or looked at it, I promise. I just wanted an excuse to keep you here so I could have my wicked way with you."

"Oh yeah?" Ianto asked, swaying into Jack's embrace.

"Yeah," Jack said as he captured Ianto's mouth in a soft kiss.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Much later that night, Ianto found himself in his new favourite place: curled in Jack's arms with Jack's warm body pressed against him. He was sated and sleepy but slumber eluded him. Jack was sound asleep behind him, a rare occurrence as he explained it. Ianto tried to match his breathing to Jack's and, much like when Jack helped him through a panic attack, it worked like a charm and Ianto dozed off...

 

_Ianto was in the Hub. Someone was crying. He tried to find them, to help them, but he couldn't move. The crying got louder. "Where are you?" he yelled. His voice echoed throughout the Hub. The crying got louder. "I want to help you!" he yelled. "Where are you?" He looked down. His hands were covered with blood. "No," he whimpered. He wiped the blood on his trousers and then looked at his hands again. As he watched the blood reappeared across his palms. The crying got louder, bouncing off the walls of the empty Hub, echoing, magnifying. "Where are you?!"_

 

"Ianto. Ianto, wake up," Jack said, shaking him gently.

Ianto opened his eyes to see Jack's worried face above him. His heart was racing. He felt dampness on his palms and pulled them up to see if it was blood. Jack grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands away from his face. "It was just a dream, wake up, Ianto."

Shuddering, Ianto rolled into Jack who curled his body protectively around him. Jack just held him for a long moment, stroking his back and his hair, kissing his shoulder, his neck, anywhere he could reach. 

Ianto pushed against Jack's chest so he could see his face again. He stroked his hand along Jack's cheek and pulled him in for a deep kiss. Still kissing Jack, he rolled onto his back and wrapped his legs around Jack's waist. Jack raised his head with a question on his face.

Thrusting against Jack and tightening the grip of his legs, Ianto whispered, "Make me forget."

Jack groaned, but straightened his arms to hold himself up off of Ianto. "Forget what?" he asked quietly.

"Everything!" Ianto said desperately. "Take me, Jack. Please! Make me forget everything but your name."

"Ianto..."

Ianto reached between their bodies and slid a hand around Jack's cock, which was already hard despite his reservations. Ianto angled his hips, trying to impale himself without Jack's help.

"Wait, wait," Jack gasped. He fumbled for the bottle of lubricant under the pillow and hastily coated his fingers.

"Now," Ianto growled. "Don't care if it hurts."

"I do," Jack said firmly. He gave his own cock a quick tug and then slipped two fingers into Ianto easily. He was still fairly relaxed from their earlier encounters, so Jack did as he wished and entered him with no other preliminaries. 

Ianto set a punishing rhythm, slamming his hips into Jack again and again. Jack tried to give him what he needed, pulling both of his legs up to his shoulders, almost bending him in half as he fucked him hard and fast. He watched Ianto come apart beneath him, sweating with the effort of losing himself in Jack. When he finally came, the cry that was ripped from him sounded more like agony than ecstasy. Jack followed him a moment later, coming quickly and then withdrawing carefully from Ianto's body. 

Jack cleaned them up as Ianto lay on the bed with his hands over his face. Jack gathered him into his arms and held him against his chest, pulling his hands down and kissing away the trails of tears.

"I'm sorry," Ianto whispered.

Jack shushed him and drew the covers up over them both. He tightened his arms around Ianto and dropped a kiss on his forehead. "Sleep now," he whispered, through Ianto's shuddering sighs.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto's nightmares continue but he can't stay away from Jack...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Twenty-Eight
> 
> Rating: NC-17 for this chapter 
> 
> Chapter Warnings: Sexual situations
> 
> Spoilers: Countrycide (1x6)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Chris Chibnall for references borrowed from Countrycide. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

The next morning, Ianto dragged himself out of Jack's bed at the crack of dawn so he could get home to shower and dress before the others came in. Jack protested, pointing out that Ianto had clothes at the Hub, but Ianto insisted.

He tried not to think about the dream as he went through his day, but it kept creeping up on him. At one point, the rest of the team left on a police call and Ianto was alone in the Hub. He found himself standing in the same exact spot as in his dream. He even glanced down at his hands, half expecting to see blood covering them but, of course, there was nothing.

That night Jack overrode all of Ianto's protests about spending the night again with kisses and caresses so convincing that Ianto found himself drifting off to sleep in the middle of the night, wrapped in Jack's arms with a very contented smile on his face. He was up before the sun again, anxious to be gone before any of the rest of the team showed up. When Jack laughingly pointed out that none of them were ever in before nine, Ianto glared at him and threw a pillow.

The next night was the same. Ianto wanted to go home and Jack persuaded him to stay. Ianto dreaded the idea that someone would find out about them. It was all well and good for Jack to say 'who cares?' but Ianto knew that being the boss and shagging one of your employees was a very different place to be than an employee who is shagging the boss. Especially when one of the other employees was Owen.

Ianto was still having the dream. He would wake up once or twice in the night, sweating and shaking. He'd apparently gotten past the screaming part of the new nightmare, because he didn't seem to wake Jack again, something for which he was grateful. He really didn't want to have to explain the dream to Jack.

One night about a week after he and Jack had... _gotten together? No idea what to call it..._ Ianto lingered in the archives until he was sure everyone had gone. He walked purposefully into Jack's office and pulled the Captain out of his chair without a word. He leant Jack against his desk and gave him a bruising kiss as he unbuckled his belt. Then, still without speaking, Ianto dropped to his knees and took Jack into his mouth. 

Jack moaned and buried his hands in Ianto's hair as he eagerly sucked him off. Ianto hoped that whatever he lacked in finesse, he made up for with enthusiasm, hollowing his cheeks around Jack's cock, desperate to make him come. Jack tried to pull him up several times, but Ianto refused to be moved, wanting to feel Jack, to taste him as he came. Jack finally seemed to read Ianto's needs, because he braced his hands on the desk and began to thrust in earnest, sliding his cock over Ianto's tongue.

Ianto concentrated on not choking and opened his throat, drawing Jack deep as he hummed with pleasure. That was enough to send Jack over the edge. He cried out and brought his hands back to Ianto's hair as he erupted in Ianto's mouth. He bucked against Ianto's face, unable to control himself as his orgasm washed over him. Ianto rode it out with him, savouring the taste of Jack on his tongue and the feelings of power and satisfaction that swept through him as he watched Jack come undone. _I did that,_ he thought, and grinned.

When Ianto stood to pull Jack into his arms, he could feel his own erection trapped between them. Jack felt it too and reached down to open Ianto's trousers as he kissed him. A few quick strokes of Jack's talented hand and Ianto was shuddering into the kiss. Jack pushed him so that he sat back into the chair and fell to his knees to return the favour. Ianto had just enough time to consider that Jack, on his knees, with a mouthful of his cock might be one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen, before he came with a shout. 

For a few moments there was no sound in the Hub but the ever-present drip of water and the two men panting from their exertions. Then Jack raised his head from Ianto's thigh where he had been resting.

"You are amazing, Ianto Jones. You know that?"

Ianto chuckled and leant down to kiss Jack, both of them moaning as they tasted themselves in the kiss. He stood up and pulled Jack to his feet. They tidied themselves up and then Ianto took a deep breath.

"Well, good night."

"Whoa. 'Good night'? You're leaving?" Jack asked as he grabbed Ianto's arm.

"I can't keep spending every night here, Jack."

"And why not?" Jack asked, pouting a little. "Aren't you having fun?"

"Yes, but – "

"But what?" Jack pulled him close, running his hands over Ianto's body. "We'll get noodles from that Thai place you want to try, maybe a bottle of wine, and go to bed early so you can get some sleep. Please?"

Ianto had been prepared for all kinds of complaints and persuasion, but the 'please' threw him. He felt all of his resolutions vanish at the pleading note in Jack's voice. Knowing he was lost, he returned the embrace and whispered, "Okay."

Jack grinned.

The noodles were pretty good and Jack went out of his way to be charming all evening, so Ianto didn't regret his decision. Not until much later.

They had gone to bed early, as promised, but had not gone to sleep right away. Jack had spent an hour giving Ianto a massage and basically worshipping his body with his hands and mouth. Then he spent another hour teasing and tormenting Ianto, bringing him to the brink of orgasm over and over before finally burying himself inside him and driving them both to a shattering climax. Sleep had overtaken them quickly and Ianto didn't start to dream until later in the night. It was the same dream only this time he didn't wake up as quickly. 

 

_"Where are you?" he yelled and this time he knew who was crying. "Lisa! Where are you?" he yelled. There it was – the blood on his hands. Lisa's blood. He heard gunshots. "NO!" he cried. He found he could finally move and he ran to the basement. It seemed to be miles underground. He ran down staircase after staircase, hearing the gunshots echoing off the stone walls. He was too late. Lisa, his Lisa, his warm, human, beautiful Lisa was lying on the floor in a pool of blood. "Ianto?" she whispered once before she died. "NO!" he cried. "You monster!" he yelled as he beat on Jack's chest with bloody hands. "Hey, it's okay," Jack soothed, holding Ianto close, his gun pressing into Ianto's back. "Aren't you having fun?" he asked and then kissed him._

 

Ianto woke. There were tears pouring down his face, but he must have been quiet since Jack was still asleep. He felt Jack move lazily against him and was suddenly sick to his stomach. He climbed out of the bed carefully and ran for the bathroom. He threw himself on the floor in front of the toilet and vomited the Thai noodles and red wine that looked like blood.

When his stomach was empty, he closed the lid and rested his face on the cool porcelain. _God, what am I doing here? No matter what I do I betray someone._ He heard Jack knocking on the door.

"Ianto? You okay?" 

Ianto groaned and flushed the toilet. He pulled himself up off the floor and rinsed his face and mouth at the sink. Jack's knocking was getting more impatient. He opened the door and tried to smile. "Yeah, don't think I like that new Thai place after all," he said ruefully.

Jack reached for him, a concerned look on his face. Ianto flinched and pulled back. "Don't touch me. I... I'm sorry. I just feel... I need to go home."

Jack put his hands behind his back in a childish and charming way that would have made Ianto want to kiss him under different circumstances. As it was, he just wanted to get out of there. He grabbed his clothes and dressed hurriedly under Jack's anxious gaze. He was about to climb the ladder when he heard Jack speak.

"Ianto?" Jack paused and then sighed. "Never mind, I'll see you tomorrow if you feel up to coming in."

Ianto just nodded and clambered up the ladder. He headed straight for the cog door, not wanting to linger in the Hub, afraid the dream might catch him somehow.

He spent a restless night in his own bed, his mind racing, trying to come to some decision about his... _whatever this is..._ with Jack and his body betraying him, aching for the warmth of Jack's skin on his.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack has a solution to Ianto's difficulties...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Twenty-Nine
> 
> Rating: R for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Greeks Bearing Gifts (1x7)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Toby Whithouse for references and dialogue borrowed from Greeks Bearing Gifts. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

The next morning Ianto slept through his alarm. He awoke, groggy and disoriented around nine. He lay in bed for a while debating whether or not he should go to the Hub. He finally decided that staying home was the coward's way out and got ready for work. 

Jack came out of his office as soon as Ianto entered the Hub, no doubt alerted to his presence by Owen hollering for his coffee. He followed Ianto over to the kitchen area and placed a hand on his back as Ianto bent over the coffee maker. Ianto flinched at the touch.

Ianto turned around to see Jack back up a few steps and carefully place his hands in his pockets. He winced again at the hurt in Jack's eyes. "Sorry," he said quietly. "Not sure what's wrong with me today."

"Maybe you should have stayed home," Jack observed.

"Maybe," Ianto sighed.

"Maybe it wasn't the noodles," Jack said in a low voice.

Startled, Ianto glanced up at him. 

Before he could speak, Jack gave him a brief nod and spoke in his normal tones. "UNIT is sending a package today by courier. They'll need someone to sign for it. Would you mind manning the Tourist Office until it shows up?"

"Of course, sir. I'll head up there directly," Ianto said, wanting to say more but keenly aware of Owen, Tosh and Gwen in earshot.

"Directly after the coffee is made, right?" Owen called.

"Yes, Owen," Ianto hollered down at him. He turned to say something to Jack but he had already headed back to his office. Ianto sighed again and finished the coffee. He hesitated over Jack's blue and white striped mug, but decided just to leave well enough alone for the moment. He poured himself a cup and retreated to his tiny office upstairs.

The delivery from UNIT didn't come until late afternoon, so Ianto had the day mostly to himself. He took the package to Jack and placed it on his desk, hoping to talk to the other man, but Jack was dialling the phone and simply nodded his thanks to Ianto. He had spent the day upstairs, longing to see Jack but after that dismissal, Ianto just wanted to be alone again. He gathered up the filing from the outboxes and headed for the archives. Once again, he stayed down there until he was sure everyone but Jack had gone home for the evening.

He finished his filing and headed back to the Hub, wondering what was going to happen next. Jack was standing in the door of his office when Ianto appeared. 

"I was wondering where you'd got to," Jack said. "Ready to call it a day?"

Ianto swallowed. "Unless there's anything you need?"

Jack smiled, a hard, bright smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Nope. Have a good night," he said and then turned and walked back to his desk.

Ianto stood there for a moment and then said, "Good night, sir," quietly to the empty room. He thought he heard a sigh from Jack, but when he turned around he saw the Captain reading through a report, not paying any attention to him. Defeated, he packed up and went home.

The next morning he was determined to have a real conversation with Jack about what was going on between them. When he arrived, he went straight to Jack's office. He nodded hello to Gwen and Owen who were there remarkably early, promising to make coffee as soon as he spoke to Jack.

Jack was sitting at his desk and didn't look up when Ianto came in.

Ianto stood there for a moment, finally clearing his throat to get Jack's attention. Jack finished reading the document he was holding and then signed the bottom. After he had placed it in the file, he looked up at Ianto.

"Good morning. Feeling any better today?"

"Yes, sir, thank you." Ianto started off strong. "I need to talk to you about... well, about what's happening... you know, between us?" His voice faded towards the end and he fought the urge to loosen his tie.

Jack motioned to Ianto to shut the door. After he had taken a seat across the desk, Jack leant forward. His eyes were very kind as he spoke. "This is my fault, Ianto. You're still grieving and you were upset and I took advantage. I'd like to apologise."

"What? That's... that's not what happened. I wanted you!" Ianto protested.

"I know and I wanted you too, I have for a long time. But perhaps it wasn't the best moment for it." Jack dropped his eyes to his desk and played with his letter opener. "You still call her name in your sleep."

Ianto's mouth dropped open. He wanted to crawl over the desk, wrap himself around Jack and kiss him until he'd forgotten that he'd ever heard the name Lisa. "I... I'm sorry, Jack."

"Nothing to be sorry for, it's just the way things are. So it's probably best if we just forget the last week altogether."

"Forget..." Ianto whispered.

Jack looked up, his blue eyes were hard and bright now. "Yes, forget."

Stunned, Ianto stood up. "Perhaps a little Retcon in the morning coffee, sir?" he said harshly, lashing out blindly.

Jack flinched which Ianto noted with painful satisfaction. "I don't think that will be necessary."

"Fine. Whatever you think is best, **sir** ," Ianto practically sneered as he spun on his heel to leave.

He hurried through the Hub, wanting to be alone when Jack's words finally sank in. As the cog door rolled back he heard Owen call out to him. "Oi! What about the coffee?" 

Ianto sagged against the wall of the lift with his head in his hands. _I betrayed Jack to save Lisa. And now I'm betraying Lisa by being with Jack. And none of it matters anyway because Lisa is dead and Jack doesn't want me. I wish that fucking cannibal had just finished the job!_

The lift opened into the hallway behind the Tourist Office, automatically tripping the switch for the hidden wall. Ianto walked slowly along the passageway fighting the panic he felt rising in his chest. He finally leant on the wall, pressing his forehead into the stone as he concentrated on breathing. He dimly heard the wall swing shut again, but didn't move. He didn't know how long he stood in the hallway, but it was until he heard the wall begin to swing open again and knew someone would be coming. He wiped his face and straightened his tie as he headed for the Tourist Office.

He about ran into Tosh as she was coming through the wall. Hoping his distress didn't show on his face, Ianto simply said, "Good morning."

Tosh seemed too distracted to notice anything was wrong with him. "Yeah, hi, Ianto," she replied, hiding something behind her back.

With a quick nod, Ianto headed to his little office, praying Tosh would continue on downstairs. He stayed upstairs all day, not wanting to talk to anyone. Jack didn't question his absence in the Hub, _probably relieved he doesn't have to see me,_ Ianto thought bitterly. _Now he can focus on convincing Gwen that Owen is wrong for her, that Rhys is wrong for her._ Ianto ignored the little voice in his head which was screaming _Drama Queen!_ and worked himself into an impressive snit by mid-afternoon. 

He headed down to the Hub out of sheer perverse curiosity. When the door rolled back he saw Tosh working at a table by the kitchen area, Owen was down in the medical bay with a skeleton they'd found at a jobsite, and Gwen was _surprise, surprise_ in Jack's office. He heard their shared laughter ring out across the Hub as he gathered up some used mugs and it cut through him like a blade.

_Can't imagine a time when this isn't everything,_ he thought, looking across the Hub at Jack as his hands were busy with the cups. _Pain so constant, like my stomach's full of rats. Feels like this is all I am now. There isn't an inch of me that doesn't hurt._

He glanced over to see Tosh watching him. He smiled. "I'm about to brew some of Jack's industrial strength coffee. Would you like a cup?" he asked politely.

"I'm... I'm fine. Thanks, Ianto." 

He made the coffee and then headed back upstairs. He left that night without seeing Jack again.


	30. Chapter Thirty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto's pining for Jack is interrupted by an alien incursion on the Hub...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Thirty
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Greeks Bearing Gifts (1x7)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Toby Whithouse for references and dialogue borrowed from Greeks Bearing Gifts. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Thirty**

 

When Ianto dreamt that night, there was no one to comfort him. He lay in bed in the aftermath of the nightmare thinking about Lisa, about Jack. He had loved Lisa and he had done everything in his power to help her. The fact that he had failed would weigh on him for the rest of his life, but he knew Lisa, **his** Lisa, would want him to find happiness again. He also knew that his Lisa had truly died that day at Canary Wharf and that Jack had killed the monster who destroyed her. But knowing these things didn't make him feel better. Knowing these things didn't bring about an epiphany of any kind. And knowing these things **now** didn't make a damn bit of difference because Jack didn't want him.

Ianto groaned and pulled the covers over his head. His body was crying out for Jack and now that his mind had begun to catch up, it was too late. It took him hours to fall asleep again.

The next day, Ianto arrived on time and made the coffee as usual. He could see Jack moving around in his office, but Ianto's presence and the smell of the French Roast was apparently not enough to lure him out into the Hub. Ianto sighed. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to forget the feel of Jack's skin on his, the taste of his cock, of his come, the look on his face when he sank deep into Ianto's body, the sound he made a second before his orgasm hit. Ianto sighed again. 

Today he would make an effort to go back to 'normal' _whatever that was_. Jack didn't want him and he just had to accept that. If doing his job was the only way he could be close to his… his Captain, then that was what he would do. He would content himself with whatever he could get. He turned on his computer and took a quick glance at the calendar for the day. _Perfect_ , he thought, and headed for Jack's office with his favorite mug.

"Good morning, sir. Coffee?"

Jack looked at him with an unreadable expression. Ianto set the mug on Jack's desk and then crossed to a cabinet, unlocked the door and took out a small mobile phone. He handed the phone to Jack and said, "You have a call set up with the Prime Minister at two this afternoon. He's speed dial one, as you no doubt remember."

Jack took the phone and looked at it without enthusiasm. "Two o'clock?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Ianto replied.

"Thanks, Ianto. I..." Jack paused and appeared to change his mind. "Nothing. Thanks."

"Of course, sir. Will there be anything else?"

Jack narrowed his eyes, as it trying to see behind Ianto's sudden cheer, but all he said was, "No, thanks, Ianto."

Ianto nodded and left the office. He spent the day following his usual routine, except at lunch when he took a long run to clear his head. He came up from the showers to hear Gwen taunting Owen about his findings on the skeleton that was still laid out in the med bay. He stood across the Hub, watching as Jack laughed with Gwen and Tosh, ducking out of the way when Owen started throwing things at them from the med bay. Jack seemed distracted, though and didn't join in with Gwen's teasing like he normally would have. Ianto felt a leap of hope, wondering if maybe Jack was regretting his decision, but then realised it was just the call to the PM that had captured Jack's attention.

Ianto returned to the archives as soon as he could.

He spent the afternoon in the cool basement, avoiding everyone as much as possible. He'd brought his laptop with him and had the internal CCTV screens up so he could see what the others were up to and if anyone needed him. He watched Gwen and Tosh head home, whilst Owen continued working on the skeleton. He watched as Jack left and found himself curious about where he was headed. 

Ianto sat down by his laptop and worked on the feeds, calling up the CCTV cameras on the Plass. He found Jack easily, his determined stride and billowing coat making him stand out from the tourists. Ianto went from feed to feed, watching Jack as he disappeared into a building a few blocks away. Sighing, he was about to switch off the computer when Jack caught his eye again. He was on the roof.

Wondering just what Jack was doing, Ianto fiddled with the cameras like Tosh had taught him, until he had a clear view of Jack, standing on the roof looking down over Cardiff. Jack wasn't doing anything, just staring out into space, but Ianto was mesmerised, gazing at Jack on the small screen like he hadn't seen him in days. 

As he watched, Jack dropped his head into his hands, the picture of despair. Ianto's hand touched the screen before he realised he was reaching for the other man. _Jack_ , he thought with a pang. Then Jack gave himself a shake and raised his head. The resolution on the screen was too low for Ianto to make out Jack's expression, but he put his hands on his hips and stared out at the night in his usual defiant stance.

Ianto knew he should either get back to work or go home for the night, but he couldn't tear himself away from Jack. He watched for a while longer and then saw Jack answer his mobile. He immediately sprang into action, hurrying from the roof as he made another call on his phone. Ianto jumped when his mobile rang a second later.

"Yes, sir?" he answered.

"Ianto, I need you to get back to the Hub. Owen is there now, he's figured out how our victim died. Get Gwen back in as well."

"I'm still here, sir. I'll call Gwen now. Should I call Tosh as well?" Ianto replied as he was sprinting up the stairs from the archives.

There was a long pause and Ianto began to fear that the call had been dropped, but then he heard Jack's voice. "Why are you still – never mind. No, don't call Tosh right now. Although..."

Another long pause. "Yes, sir?" Ianto prompted.

"Can you get a feed from a CCTV camera near Tosh's flat?"

"What? I mean, yes sir, probably, but why?" 

"Just see what you can find," Jack said and then ended the call.

Ianto stared at his phone for a second before flipping it closed and getting to work. He texted Gwen – it was always faster than actually speaking to her – and then sifted through the CCTV cameras near Tosh's place until he found one that had a pretty clear view of her front door and her car parked outside.

Jack rushed into the Hub a few minutes later. "Did you find one?" he asked as he stripped off his coat.

"Yes, sir. It looks like Tosh is at home."

"Good. Keep an eye on that and let me know if she leaves. Especially if there's someone with her," he said darkly.

Ianto nodded, taking Jack's coat from him as he ran to the med bay, calling for Owen.

Ianto carried his laptop with him as he crossed to Jack's office to hang up his coat and then moved over to the med bay where he caught the tail end of Owen's report to Jack.

"…on for years, Jack. God, it's –"

"I know." Jack clapped a hand on Owen's shoulder. "Good work. With that and what I've learned from the device, I think we have a pretty clear idea of the sort of thing we're dealing with. If my suspicious are correct, it'll be coming here for its transport just as soon as it can."

They all turned to the door as the proximity alarms went off.

"Jack?" Gwen called before she caught sight of Ianto who waved her over to join them at the medical bay.

Jack caught Gwen up quickly and then explained his plan for dealing with this alien. "All clear? Ianto, you tell me the minute you see Tosh. That alien needs a way in here and I have a really bad feeling that it's going to be through her."

"Tosh?" Gwen exclaimed. "What does –"

"Later," Jack said. "I have a few more adjustments to make on the transport. Gwen, with me. You two, get to your posts!"

Jack brushed past Ianto and grabbed Gwen's elbow, leading her quickly to the work area where the transport was set up. Ianto watched the two of them working side by side for a moment, trying to squash the jealousy roiling about his in stomach. He glanced to his left and saw Owen standing next to him, the exact same look on his face. He looked away, knowing the doctor wouldn't appreciate being caught staring at Gwen. Ianto cleared his throat and said, "Well, better get situated."

Owen jumped a little and then looked at Ianto and nodded. As they made their way across the Hub, Ianto caught a glimpse of movement on his screen. He ran the computer over to Jack.

"I hope you're about finished, sir," he said, pointing at Tosh and a blonde woman getting into Tosh's car.

"That's gotta be her. She was at the site when we uncovered this thing." At Owen's disbelieving look, Jack said, "Oh come on! Me not notice a hot blonde like that?" He laughed and then caught Ianto's eye and turned the laugh into a cough. "Remember, I want her in the Hub so you stay back until I signal."

Once he reached his designated spot near the interrogation room, Ianto kept fiddling with his laptop, trying to follow Tosh and the other woman through the traffic.

They waited until Jack's signal and then locked down the Hub and headed in for backup. Jack had the alien distracted, explaining her history to them. For a while it was all just talking and then Tosh yelled, "Owen, no!" even though Owen was just standing there. Then, in another second, Tosh had a knife pressed to her throat. 

Ianto froze. _Not again, please God! Not again_ , he thought. 

He couldn't focus on anything except the blade against Tosh's neck. The others were talking, trying to get the alien to release Tosh but Ianto was sure nothing would work. She had killed all those people, what was to stop her now? _Jack_ , he thought, _Jack_.

"Keep the knife and I'll give you the transporter myself." Jack held out the device.

It worked. The alien pushed Tosh away and reached for her device. Owen stepped forward to help Tosh, but she stumbled closer to Ianto who caught her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as the scene played out just the way Jack had planned.

When the transporter engaged and the alien vanished in a flash of bright light, Tosh pulled away from Ianto to confront Jack.

"What did she... has she gone home?"

"I reset the coordinates," Jack said matter-of-factly.

"Where to?" she asked.

Jack looked squarely at Tosh. "To the center of the sun. It shouldn't be hot," he continued in a sarcastic tone. "I mean, we sent her there at night and everything."

Tosh nodded, tears starting to fall. "You killed her."

"Yes!" Jack said harshly. He turned and walked quickly away from Tosh who stood, looking up to where the alien had vanished, tears rolling down her cheeks. Ianto stepped forward to place his arm around her shoulder. Tosh crumpled onto his chest, sobbing quietly. Ianto drew her away from the others, giving her a moment to grieve as he held her close.

Ianto saw Jack approach them and held Tosh closer. Jack must have noted Ianto's protective stance, because he slowed his steps and spoke more gently than Ianto believed he had intended. "I need a full debriefing, the sooner the better. The mind-reading, everything you can tell us about her, Tosh. Ianto, would you?"

Nodding, Ianto escorted Tosh to the conference room and gave her a moment to compose herself while he made some tea. Jack appeared at his elbow the moment the door to the conference room was closed.

"Can you handle this, Ianto?" he asked quietly.

Bristling, Ianto replied, "Yes, sir. I'm quite capable of taking Tosh's statement." He looked Jack in the eye. "I can handle quite a bit more than you seem to think, when given the opportunity and a say in the matter."

Jack looked sad. "Ianto, I was only –"

The kettle whistled and Ianto turned his back on Jack to make the tea. Jack was still standing there, watching him when he had finished. "If you'll excuse me, sir?"

Jack looked like he wanted to stop Ianto, but merely stepped out of his way.

Ianto took his time with Tosh, letting her talk at her own pace about the alien she called Mary, trying not to just fire questions at her the way he knew Jack would have. When Ianto closed his notebook and gave Tosh a smile, she reached over to place her hand on his.

"I know you're still hurting, Ianto. Is there anything I can do?"

Ianto covered Tosh's small hand with his own. "Trust you to worry about someone else after all you've just been through. It's getting better, Tosh, I promise. I just had a bad day, that's all."

"If I can help?"

"First to know," Ianto promised. "That is, if you'll do the same?"

Tosh nodded. She glanced out the door where Owen and Gwen were lurking. "Better go face the music. Thanks, Ianto. You made this a lot easier than it could have been."

"You're welcome," he said smiling sympathetically. He stayed behind, tidying up his notes and adding a few comments. He had a feeling no one wanted him to overhear the conversation taking place on the walkway. Once everyone else had scattered, Ianto cleaned up the conference room and shut off the lights, closing up the Hub as he made his way to Jack's office. 

A quick check on the CCTV showed Jack and Tosh talking out on the Plass. Ianto was relieved to see them smiling, glad for Jack's sake that Tosh seemed to understand his decision. Watching Jack as he talked to Tosh, seeing kindness and consideration from Jack again made Ianto's heart ache. This was the Jack who woke him from his nightmares and held him close. This was the Jack who laughed and teased and kissed with his soul on his lips. This was the Jack Ianto was falling in love with, no matter how he tried to deny it. Ianto knew he should leave, but he also knew he couldn't go without seeing Jack, _this Jack_ , even if it was just for a moment.

Ianto waited in Jack's office, ostensibly to hand in his brief for the ‘Mary' file. He was already kicking himself for staying. He knew that Jack didn't want to see him, but he just couldn't stay away. The pain would come later, but it would be worth it just to have a moment alone with him. Ianto scooted down in his chair and crossed his legs, trying to get comfortable as he waited for Jack. He started to feel a little strangled by his tie, so he took it off and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt. It felt so good to unwind that he pulled off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves as well. He sprawled in his chair, unconsciously doing a good imitation of his Captain. He had almost dozed off when Jack finally returned.

"What are you still doing here?" Jack asked as he hung up his coat.

Ianto started and sat up. He pointed at the folder on Jack's desk. "Wanted to make sure you got the brief. I believe it's complete, but if you don't trust that I did a good job you'll want to talk to her yourself as soon as possible." Ianto cringed at his harsh tone. _Oh well, it's better than throwing myself on my knees and begging him to change his mind_ , Ianto thought.

Jack sighed. "Knock it off, you know I wasn't questioning your abilities." He sat behind his desk and just looked at Ianto for a moment. "Believe it or not, Ianto, I'm trying to make things easier for you, not harder."

Ianto snorted. "Then why –" _**Don't** ask him that, you pathetic git._ He shook his head. "Never mind. I hope the file is complete. Good night, sir," Ianto said as he stood up. 

He moved to the door and heard Jack's chair roll away from his desk. _Ask me to stay, ask me to stay_ , Ianto begged silently. 

"Ianto?" Jack said. 

Ianto's heart leaped into his throat. "Yes, sir?" he asked. _Ask me to stay._

"I... uh... some things came up with the PM this afternoon. Actually the discussion got a little... well, heated."

Ianto smiled. "I could hear you yelling from the archives."

Jack grinned. "Are you free to meet tomorrow night to talk about some things he brought up? We could... maybe grab some dinner or something... talk about... well, whatever. Maybe head to the pub?"

Ianto looked at Jack. "You want to go to dinner to discuss the PM's call?"

"Yeah," Jack said, running his hand through his hair. "You know, get out of the Hub for a while."

"That would be fine, sir. Good night."

"Night, Ianto." 

Ianto sighed and headed back up to the Tourist Office to get his things. He locked up and drove home, speeding through the quiet streets. He didn't bother to turn on any lights, just stripped off his clothes and climbed into bed. He hugged his pillow to him, muffling a few deep sighs as he drifted off, longing for Jack's arms around him.


	31. Chapter Thirty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack and Ianto meet for dinner...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Thirty-One
> 
> Rating: PG-13 for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Greeks Bearing Gifts (1x7)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Toby Whithouse for references to Greeks Bearing Gifts. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Thirty-One**

Ianto slept late the morning after the ‘Mary' incident. It was tradition in Torchwood to take it easy the day after a late night. Jack never expected the team to keep regular hours, especially when they'd been at work until three in the morning. He rolled over and grabbed his mobile off the nightstand. Sure enough, there was a text from Jack to the team:

C U THURS. MOBILES ON. CJH

Ianto relaxed into the pillows. _Two days off_ , he thought. _Last week, I was in the Hub the whole time… with Jack…_

He sighed. Since that obviously wasn't going to be the case for this two-day break, he needed to make some plans. He started a list in his head: _dry cleaners, grocery (do I have any food here at all?), book due back at the library, laundry (ugh), clean flat_. None of it sounded very fun. He sighed again and rolled over, burying his head in the pillows. _Maybe Jack will call_ , he thought, _he said something about dinner, he said tonight_. Deciding that lying around in bed thinking about Jack was not a good idea, Ianto got up and showered and started on his list, keeping his mobile nearby… _just in case._

His diligence was rewarded. He was just leaving the market when his mobile rang. He glanced at the display and smiled.

"Yes, sir?" 

"Ianto," Jack said.

"Yes, sir?" Ianto repeated.

"Did you think about dinner?"

"I believe I agreed when you asked, sir."

"Oh yeah, right."

There was a pause.

Ianto rolled his eyes. "If you've changed your mind, sir, just tell me. I've got milk spoiling here."

"Milk? Where are you?"

"Just been to the market, sir."

"Did you get more HobNobs? Owen ate the last pack and they're all gone."

Ianto grinned. "Yes, sir. More HobNobs and some of those hazelnut biscuits you like too. Would you like me to run them over now?"

Jack chuckled. "No, I think I can survive a little longer. Is it still convenient to meet for dinner then?"

"Yes, sir. What time?"

"Around seven? At the pub?" Jack's tentative tone made Ianto's smile widen.

"I'll meet you there."

"Okay. Bye, Ianto."

"Good bye, sir."

Ianto flipped his phone closed and tried very, very hard not to grin. 

He didn't succeed.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

A few hours later, Ianto was standing in front of his closet in a towel, dithering over what to wear. A suit said ‘yes, this is a business meeting' whereas jeans were more ‘so, is this a date?' and since Ianto was certain that it wasn't a date, he was leaning towards putting on a suit. But then again, a suit was a little much for the pub on a Tuesday night. _It's one thing to come in a suit after work when I've been wearing it all day, but to put it on to go to the pub..._

Ianto caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror on his closet door and laughed. _Get a grip, son, it's dinner at the bloody pub, not a visit to the Queen_. He finally settled on middle ground – a pair of tan, flat-front trousers and a black cotton-silk-blend dress shirt that he'd bought a few months before but hadn't worn yet. The fabric was too soft to wear with a suit and tie so it was hanging in his closet with the tags still attached. He fastened the cuffs, but left the top few buttons undone and decided that he could pass for ‘business casual' in a pinch. He ran a brush through his hair and put on his shoes and headed for his car.

When he got to the pub, he was glad to see that Jack was already there. He was sitting at one of the corner booths with two pints in front of him.

"Thirsty tonight, sir?" Ianto asked dryly as he slipped off his jacket and slid into the booth.

"Ha ha," Jack replied. He slid the pint with the dark beer over to Ianto and took a sip of the pale amber liquid in his glass. "You know I can't stand that stuff."

After taking a healthy swallow, Ianto motioned towards Jack's glass. "Not your usual," he observed.

Jack smiled. "Nah, I thought I'd let myself splurge tonight. Black Thorn," he said, taking another sip of his cider.

"Hmm, good stuff. Thanks for this, I'll get the next round."

Jack waved his hand dismissively. "It's on Torchwood tonight."

"Oh yes," Ianto said. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small notepad and a pen. "I'm ready when you are, sir."

Jack stared at Ianto for a moment and then burst into laughter, drawing several curious glances his way. Ianto noticed grumpily that they all (two women and one man) looked interested. He smiled back at Jack. "Well, you did say you wanted to discuss the PM's call."

"Yeah, I did." Jack reached across the table and took the pen, letting his fingers brush over Ianto's hand. "And we'll give the PM his five minutes at some point, but right now I want supper. What would you like?"

Ianto smiled at Jack, "Oh you know, the usual. Fish and chips with –"

"– mushy peas," Jack finished. "I should've known." He reached out to grasp Ianto's hand for a quick moment. "I'll be right back," he said and headed to the bar to place their order. One of the women Ianto had noticed leant back on her stool and crossed her legs at Jack, but all she got was a quick grin of appreciation before Jack caught the bartender's eye. 

By the time Jack returned they had both relaxed a bit. Ianto was feeling a little more confident that Jack hadn't completely lost interest in him. He was trying to figure out a way to convince Jack to pick up where they left off – _wherever that was!_ – but decided he was pushing things too hard. He let his mind take a break from scheming and just enjoyed being with Jack again.

The evening passed too quickly for Ianto and all too soon Jack was paying the tab and helping him into his jacket. Jack rested his hands on Ianto's shoulders for a moment, standing closer than he had since their horrible conversation in his office. Ianto sighed with pleasure and allowed himself to sway back into Jack's body for a quick moment, before he turned to face him. Jack's expression was impossible to read in the dark corner of the pub. Ianto wanted nothing more than to reach out and kiss him, but managed to control himself. Silently, they walked out of the pub and over to Ianto's car. 

Ianto turned and said, "Jack –" 

At the same moment, Jack raised his head and said, "Ianto –"

They both laughed quietly.

"You first," Ianto said.

Jack sighed. "I'm trying to do what's right here, Ianto, give you time. But it's damn hard."

"What if I don't want time?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't know."

Ianto leant back against his car. "I know what I want, Jack. The only question is, what do you want?"

Jack stepped forward, pressing his body against Ianto's, trapping him. Ianto groaned as he felt Jack's hardness against his hip. "I know that I want you, Ianto," Jack whispered. "That's not the question."

Ianto caught his lower lip between his teeth, feeling very young. "Then what is the question?"

"There's so much you don't know about me," Jack said. "So much I don't know about myself. I need answers."

"Can I help?" Ianto asked, sliding his hands up Jack's arms to rest them on his shoulders.

"No, I wish you could," Jack replied, slipping his arms around Ianto's waist. They were only inches apart now, drawn together like magnets.

"What do you need, Jack?" Ianto leant his forehead on Jack's. "What can I do to convince you that this is what I want? What **I** need."

"Oh, Ianto," Jack said as he turned his head to place a line of soft kisses on Ianto's cheek. "If only it were as simple as want and need."

Ianto tilted his head to the side to give Jack better access to the tender skin of his neck. "Can't we make it that simple?"

"This," Jack said as he kissed the hollow of Ianto's throat. "This has been driving me mad all night."

"Ja-ack," Ianto scolded.

"Seriously. This little vee of skin that I never get to see when you're all buttoned up." Jack ran a finger down Ianto's neck to the scattered curls of chest hair that were revealed by the open buttons. "Tonight, it's the sexiest thing I've ever seen."

"Jack, I asked you a question."

Jack sighed and pulled back slightly so he could look Ianto in the eye. "Yes. Okay? Yes, we could make it that simple."

"Then why –"

"Because I will hurt you," Jack said harshly. He seemed to read the surprise in Ianto's eyes and softened his voice. "And I don't want to. But I will, I know I will. It's what I do," he whispered bitterly.

"I don't care."

It was Jack's turn to look surprised.

"I don't care," Ianto said more forcefully. He raised his hands to Jack's face, making him meet his gaze. "I've been hurt before, Jack. I know I can survive. I'm **not** sure I could survive being around you every day and never getting to touch you like this again."

Jack groaned. "This is what I was afraid of. This is why I said we should forget it ever happened. Oh God, I never should have kissed you."

" **I** kissed **you** ," Ianto pointed out, his lips close to Jack's. "And you're kidding yourself if you think we haven't been headed here since that moment in the warehouse. Want and need, Jack," Ianto said quietly, dropping his arms to his sides and standing very still. "Want and need or we can go back in the pub and you can Retcon me right now. Because that is the **only** way I will ever be able to forget."

Jack was silent for a long moment, simply staring at Ianto. "Want and need?"

"Yes," Ianto said quietly. "No complications."

"Well," Jack chuckled as he pulled Ianto into his arms again. "There will be complications, that's a guarantee."

Ianto smiled, relief flooding through him. "I suppose that's true," he said. 

"Are you sure this is what you want, Ianto?"

Ianto opened his mouth to reply but Jack placed a finger over his lips. "Think first. I need you to be sure. It has been so, so very long since I let anyone in, I'm not sure I even remember how to do it. I will be mean. I will be careless with you. And I will hate myself when I see that look in your eyes."

"What look?" Ianto asked from behind Jack's finger.

"The look you gave me in my office two days ago."

Ianto smiled. "It's only been two days? I thought it must have been at least a week."

Jack still looked serious. "Are you certain?"

Ianto didn't answer, he just reached behind him and opened the car door, motioning for Jack to get in. Quirking an eyebrow, Jack obeyed silently. Ianto walked around and got behind the wheel, pointing the car towards his flat without saying a word. Jack looked over at him a few times, but didn't break the silence. Ianto parked the car and led Jack to his front door. He put the key in the lock and turned to look at Jack.

"Come inside. I want to show you just how certain I am." Ianto nudged the door open behind him but didn't go in. "I need you to know." He wound his arms around Jack's neck and placed a soft kiss on his mouth. "Want and need. Simple."

Jack groaned and stepped forward, pushing Ianto into his flat as he pulled him into his arms. He kissed Ianto thoroughly as he kicked the door shut behind them.


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ianto shows Jack just how sure he is...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Thirty-Two
> 
> Rating: NC-17 for this chapter (and HOW)
> 
> Chapter Warnings: Sexual situations
> 
> Spoilers: Greeks Bearing Gifts (1x7)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

"Ouch!"

"Sorry, wait –"

"Where's the –"

"Here," Ianto said as he found the light switch. The room was flooded with light, revealing Jack leaning on the table, rubbing his hip. 

"Sorry about that," Ianto said crossing the kitchen to get back Jack.

"Perils of snogging in the dark," Jack said, grinning. He looked around. "Like the new place, very open."

"Yeah, the bedroom is through that door, bath is next to it, otherwise this is it," Ianto said, waving his hand at the big room which made up the kitchen, eating area, living room and office. 

"You laid it out well, sometimes lofts can be tricky, but you did a good job. I like it."

Ianto felt ridiculously close to blushing at Jack's compliments. "Well," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Since we were so rudely interrupted by the table, would you like cup of coffee or something?"

"Sounds good," Jack said. 

The urgency they had both felt at the door had lessened a bit, but the air was still charged with the tension and need between them. Ianto made the coffee quickly, pausing only to take Jack's coat while the water was coming to a boil. Jack stood behind Ianto as he filled the press with the coffee and the water, just resting his hands on Ianto's hips as if anchoring himself. When Ianto leant forward to grab two mugs from the cabinet, he deliberately pressed back into Jack for a moment, making the other man moan quietly.

Ianto poured the coffee as Jack moved forward to rest his hands on the counter on either side of Ianto. After he set the press down, Ianto turned in the circle of Jack's arms and leant back. Jack just stared at him for a long, quiet moment.

"Yes, sir?" Ianto asked starting to feel a little warm from the scrutiny.

"You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?" Ianto blushed and tried to turn back to the counter but Jack stopped him by wrapping his arms around Ianto's slender frame. "You are," Jack insisted. "When you're all buttoned up in a suit," he said, kissing Ianto's temple, "elegant and proper, I just watch you working and want to muss you up." He moved his lips down to Ianto's cheekbone. "And when you've just come in from a run and you're in those shorts, all flushed and sweaty and panting... God!" Jack leant his forehead against Ianto's. "It's all I can do not to follow you down to the showers and take you against the wall." Ianto whimpered. Jack slid his hands up Ianto's back, rubbing the soft fabric of his shirt against his skin. "And tonight, when you walked in the pub I almost knocked over my drink. Have I told you how much I love this shirt?" Jack asked as he lowered his mouth to the hollow of Ianto's throat.

"You mentioned something about it earlier," Ianto gasped out as Jack continued to kiss his throat and neck.

"Mmmm... bears repeating," Jack murmured into Ianto's ear before tracing the curve with his tongue. 

"Glad – ohhh... glad you like it."

"I do," Jack said and finally pressed his lips to Ianto's. The kiss was slow and deliberate, as if Jack was claiming Ianto's mouth and Ianto opened to him eagerly.

When Jack raised his head, his eyes were dark with passion but he made no move to take things further. He reached behind the quivering mass that was Ianto and grabbed the mugs. "Shall we?" he asked politely, inclining his head to the sofa. 

Ianto followed after a moment, once he was sure his legs were still functioning.

They sat on the sofa for some time, chatting and drinking Ianto's excellent coffee. Jack eventually directed the conversation around to Ianto and how he was coping with everything, but he did it quite casually and Ianto found himself opening up to Jack in a way he'd never thought possible. He confessed the nature of the nightmares that had chased him from Jack's bed and was relieved when Jack took it in stride. He also managed to make Jack understand that he really wanted to keep their private life exactly that – private – especially since neither of them was sure what would happen in the future.

Ianto raised his mug and was surprised to find he had finished his coffee. He glanced down at his watch. "Lord, it's after eleven already," he observed as he set his empty mug on the coffee table.

"Tired?" Jack asked casually.

"No, not really," Ianto said as he settled back against the cushions. "I slept late this morning."

Jack set his mug next to Ianto's. "And," he said as he moved closer to Ianto, "you don't have to go to work tomorrow."

Grinning, Ianto feigned surprise as he reached for Jack. "That's right!"

"You must have a very understanding boss," Jack teased as he pulled Ianto's legs onto the sofa and stretched himself on top of him.

"He's okay," Ianto said, tracing Jack's lower lip with the tip of his finger.

"Okay?" Jack asked with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, he's very strict."

"Strict?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrows at the choice of words.

"Yeah," Ianto said again as he slipped his arms around Jack's neck. "He won't let me call him ‘sir' in bed."

"What a bastard," Jack chuckled. He lowered his mouth to Ianto's, kissing him gently at first, just brief, almost innocent touches of his lips, as if he were savoring him. He deepened the kisses slowly – adding a nip to Ianto's bottom lip, then a deep breath as he moaned quietly against Ianto's mouth, then a quick touch of his tongue – finally Jack buried his mouth in Ianto's, the kiss becoming as desperate as the one they shared at the door. Ianto slid his hands through Jack's hair, caressing and pulling him closer at the same time. Neither man wanted to break the kiss, but eventually their need for oxygen overcame their need for each other. 

Jack pulled back a little so they could breathe and used the time to start unbuttoning Ianto's shirt. He kissed his way down Ianto's neck to the first button. It slipped easily through the buttonhole and revealed another two inches of Ianto's chest which Jack promptly kissed as well. Ianto groaned and tightened his hands in Jack's hair. After Jack had unfastened the next button, he pulled the shirt to one side to reveal Ianto's nipple. Giving Ianto a wicked grin, Jack ran his tongue in a circle around the areola without touching it. Then he blew gently over the area, making Ianto fidget beneath him. 

Laughing quietly, Jack proceeded to really make Ianto squirm. He traced the damp circle his tongue had made with his finger, clockwise with the pad of his finger, counterclockwise with the nail, spiraling in until he reached the tiny peak in the center. Ianto whimpered under his hand.

"Ah, there it is," Jack said as he leant up to kiss Ianto again. He shifted his hand so his thumb could sweep across the taut flesh, mirroring the actions of Jack's tongue. Ianto whimpered into the kiss making Jack groan. "God, I love that sound," Jack said against Ianto's lips. "Do you think I can make you come just by doing this?" Jack asked as he lowered his mouth to Ianto's nipple again. He sucked it gently, flicking his tongue repeatedly across the sensitive nub. Ianto positively writhed beneath him, bucking his hips into Jack and gripping his shoulders. 

"Mmmmm..." Jack hummed when Ianto whimpered again. He raised his head as he reached between their bodies to give Ianto's now rock-hard erection a squeeze. "I think I could. Shall we find out?"

Before Ianto could find the words to answer, Jack trailed his finger down Ianto's throat to the still-fastened button in his shirt and hooked his finger around it, shifting the opening across his chest to expose his other nipple. Using his thumb to stroke and tease his right nipple through the soft fabric of the shirt, Jack applied his tongue to the left one. He licked an X pattern across Ianto's pec with warm, broad strokes. Then he drew the pebble of flesh into his mouth, sucking gently at first.

Ianto threw his head back into the pillows and moaned. _Jack's hands on me... Jack's mouth on me again... Jack_ "Jack," he whispered. He felt Jack raise his head, but couldn't move to meet his eyes. He felt as if the entire world had shrunk to Jack's mouth on his skin. He realised his hands were still gripping Jack's hair and slid them lazily to his shoulders, letting them rest there as Jack drove him closer and closer to orgasm with just the use of his tongue and teeth.

When Ianto started to swivel his hips against Jack's body, Jack grinned and redoubled his efforts. He slid his mouth just to the side of Ianto's nipple and sucked hard, biting the soft skin as well, marking it. Ianto cried out and arched his back, pressing his chest into Jack. After Jack was satisfied with his love bite, he licked it with soothing swipes of his tongue. He then dragged his tongue back to Ianto's nipple and attacked, kissing, licking and sucking until he heard Ianto cry out again.

"That's it," Jack encouraged. "Come for me."

Ianto struggled underneath Jack's weight, trying to press both his cock and his chest closer to Jack simultaneously. He was panting now, clutching at Jack's shoulders. Jack fastened his mouth to Ianto's nipple again as he reached down to slide his hand under Ianto's arse and pull him tight against his body. That last little bit of contact was all that Ianto needed. He bucked into Jack, calling out his name as he came hard.

Grinning in triumph, Jack kissed Ianto's abused nipple and straightened his shirt out as he moved to rest his head on the pillow next to Ianto. When Ianto's breathing had returned to almost-normal, Jack kissed him deeply. "Well," Jack mused. "That's the most fun I've had with only two buttons undone in... well, ever."

Ianto laughed. "Me, too," he said and grimaced as he shifted. "What a mess," he complained. "You do like to get me dirty."

It was Jack's turn to laugh. "Yes, I do," he admitted. 

Jack reached down to unfasten Ianto's belt and trousers, pulling the tan fabric away before it could stain. He slipped his hand into Ianto's briefs, ignoring his protests. "What?" he asked innocently, quickly opening Ianto's shirt with his free hand as he cupped his balls with the other. Ianto's complaint died on his lips as Jack's hand, now covered in Ianto's come, slipped lower between his legs.

"Jack, you... oh, God," Ianto moaned as he felt a finger brush against his entrance. He bit his lip and let his head fall back on the sofa. 

"God, you are so hot right now," Jack whispered roughly as he slid one slick finger inside Ianto. He ran his hand over Ianto's chest, spreading the sides of his shirt wider. "All sprawled out for me," he continued as he withdrew his finger and replaced it with two. Ianto moaned. When Jack crooked his fingers slightly and brushed his prostate, Ianto clenched around his hand and his eyes opened wide, his mouth rounding into an O.

"Oh, yeah," Jack murmured. "Gonna make you come again... right now," he said as he slid to his knees beside the sofa and lowered himself to Ianto's already hardening cock. 

Ianto gasped as Jack drew him into his mouth. With just a few strokes of his tongue, Jack had him at half-mast and with a few more, Ianto was straining against him again.

"Oh God, Jack, how..." Ianto panted for air. "How do you... do this to me?"

Jack didn't answer, he merely sucked harder and added another finger. Ianto exploded. He grabbed fistfuls of Jack's shirt as he arched off the couch with the force of his orgasm. Jack hummed with pleasure as he continued to work Ianto's cock with his tongue, drawing out his climax for as long as he could. He gently removed his hand and allowed Ianto's spent cock to slip from his mouth. Sitting back on his heels, Jack placed a kiss on Ianto's lips before he stood.

"Where –" Ianto began, but Jack shushed him.

"I'll be right back," he whispered.

Ianto lay on the sofa, unable to think or move or even open his eyes. He felt completely drained and completely happy. He vaguely heard the sound of water running and had almost dozed off by the time Jack returned and ran a hand over his hair. Ianto smiled up at his Captain.

"Hey," he said sleepily. 

"Hey," Jack whispered. "C'mon, bed time." Jack hauled Ianto off the couch, both of them laughing when Ianto's legs buckled and Jack had to catch him. Stumbling and giggling, Ianto led Jack to his bedroom. 

Once inside, Ianto turned to Jack and began to unbutton his shirt.

"Whoa there," Jack said, stilling his hands. "I need that. The police don't like it when I walk around naked outside."

"You're not leaving?" Ianto asked.

"Duty calls," Jack said, shrugging.

Ianto made a rude noise. "Oh, please. You have the whole Hub wired into this thing," he said grabbing Jack's arm and waving his wriststrap in front of his face. "Besides," he continued. "I was supposed to be showing you something." He pulled Jack closer and nuzzled his neck. "How can I show you if you're at the Hub and I'm here?"

Jack laughed quietly. "You've more than convinced me that you know what you want, Ianto. You're tired and I should go."

"Oh, that's a bad word," Ianto said, sucking gently on Jack's neck.

"Tired?"

"Should. No shoulds here, only wants and needs, remember?" Ianto had moved up to nibble on Jack's earlobe, making him shiver. "Do you want to leave?"

"No, but –"

"Then stay."

Jack tried one more time. "But you're tired and I can't sleep so –"

"I'm not tired. I was sleepy after you blew the top of my head off. Twice. But I'm awake now." Ianto placed his lips against Jack's ear and lowered his voice to a dark whisper. "And you know you always sleep well after you fuck me."

Jack shuddered and tightened his hands on Ianto's arms. "But –"

Ianto had had enough. He dropped to his knees and opened Jack's trousers in record time. He slid his mouth around Jack's cock, pleased to find it was hard despite Jack's protests.

Jack groaned and threaded his hands through Ianto's hair. "Hey, that's cheating," he whispered. 

Ianto chuckled around his mouthful and then set to work. He nudged Jack's trousers and briefs down to his ankles, giving him full access to his body. Holding Jack steady, Ianto slowly withdrew, allowing Jack's cock to slide from his lips with a soft pop. He circled his tongue around the head for a moment and then proceeded to nibble and kiss and suck his way down the side of the shaft to the base. He shifted a little on his knees and then worked his way back up to the tip again, where he teased the head with the flat of his tongue. When he started to work back down the other side, he heard Jack moan above him and felt his hands tighten in his hair.

"You're such a cock-tease."

"Thank you, sir," Ianto said primly as he continued his torturously slow pace. "I try my best."

Jack's laugh turned into a gasp as Ianto nuzzled his balls and sucked them gently into his mouth, first one and then the other. He stroked Jack's cock with a strong hand as he kept his mouth occupied with Jack's balls. He slid his other hand around to caress Jack's arse, gently kneading the firm flesh of his buttocks and teasing the cleft between them. 

Ianto was thoroughly enjoying the noises Jack was making and the way his hands would tighten and relax in his hair, the rhythm of it matching his strokes. He moved his mouth back up to Jack's cock, sucking it down in one smooth movement. He glanced up as he did so and saw Jack looking down at him. Ianto had thought that Jack on his knees was a beautiful sight... _but Jack watching me suck his cock, the look on his face, the feel of his hands, the sound he makes when I do this, even better_. Moaning with his own pleasure, Ianto opened his throat and allowed Jack to slide even deeper into his mouth as he used his fingers to tease Jack's opening. Jack cried out, yelling Ianto's name as he began to thrust against him. Taking that as a good sign, Ianto continued to rub the tips of his fingers against the entrance to Jack's body. He didn't have any lubricant on his hands, so he didn't try to penetrate Jack, just circled around the tiny pucker as he deep throated his Captain. 

Jack cried out again, this time grabbing Ianto's head with surprising force as he thrust into his mouth. Ianto tried not to choke and rode it out, swallowing down Jack's orgasm as it pulsed over his tongue. After his hips stuttered to a halt and his cock began to soften, Ianto pulled back slowly, making Jack shiver as he sucked his way back to the tip. Ianto stood up and pulled Jack into his arms. This time he was the one holding up his Captain. As Jack sagged against him, Ianto shuffled them carefully over to the bed. Ianto knelt again to pull off Jack's boots and socks so he could remove his trousers. Pulling off his own shirt and trousers, Ianto straddled Jack's body and finished unbuttoning Jack's shirt. Once he had Jack completely naked as well, Ianto stretched out on top of him, delighting in the feel of Jack's warm skin against his again.

"God," Jack said. "That was... c'mere." He pulled Ianto down into a passionate kiss and then lay back with his eyes closed. Ianto rested his head in the crook of Jack's neck, content to lay there and breathe in the intoxicating scent of his... _lover_? His chuckle broke the long silence.

"What's so funny?" Jack asked. He was lazily drawing patterns across Ianto's back with his hand.

Ianto flushed immediately and shook his head. "Nothing," he muttered into Jack's neck.

"Mmhmm," Jack said disbelievingly. 

Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto and rolled them so they were both on their sides. He traced Ianto's lips with one long finger. "What would you like, Ianto? What do you want?"

"Um... I..." Ianto wasn't sure how to reply.

"Whatever you want, whatever you need, I want to do it for you," Jack whispered as he placed soft kisses across Ianto's cheek.

Ianto was suddenly, painfully hard again. _Jack Harkness, Jack fucking Harkness is in my bed, asking me what I want._ He felt dizzy.

"I... I want you... to fuck me slowly." Ianto closed his eyes and swallowed hard, hoping he wasn't making a fool of himself. 

"Oh yeah?" Jack asked, encouraging him to continue as he kissed Ianto's eyelids.

"Yeah, slowly... from, um... from behind."

"Mmmm, we haven't done that, have we?"

"N-no," Ianto stuttered.

Jack moved forward, pressing against Ianto as he tightened his arm across Ianto's back. "You want to feel me, hmm?" He continued to kiss Ianto, feather-light touches of his lips wherever he could reach. "Feel me against you, head to toe, as I slide in you oh... so... slowly... so you can feel every inch of my cock, feel me stretch you, fill you?"

Ianto was shuddering in Jack's arms now. "Yes, God, please Jack."

But Jack wasn't done talking yet. "And then what? Hmmm?" He kissed down the side of Ianto's neck, resting his lips in the hollow of his throat. "After I've filled you, after I'm deep inside you, what next?"

Ianto struggled to find the words to reply, breathing hard. "You... you could..." he couldn't finish.

Jack smiled. He flicked his tongue over the bruise he'd made earlier on Ianto's chest. "C'mon, Ianto. Tell me what you want next. I want to hear you."

Flushed with equal parts desire and embarrassment, Ianto tried. "I want you to... to move... inside me."

"Yes," Jack whispered.

"I want... want you to pull out slowly... until just..." _Oh God!_ he thought, _I can't say this aloud!_ Jack seemed to read his mind.

"You want me to pull out until just the tip of my cock is still inside you?"

Ianto groaned. "Yes!" he said, his voice gravelly from desire.

"And then..." Jack prompted.

Ianto reached for Jack, cupping his face between his hands and kissing him frantically. He broke the kiss and spoke in a rush. "And then I want you to push back inside me and do it again and again until I'm aching for you to let me come!"

"Yes, oh God, that's so good" Jack said, thrusting so their cocks rubbed together. He moaned. "Roll over," he said as he got off the bed.

Rolling on to his stomach, Ianto asked, "Where are you going?" in a small voice.

"I've got some lube in my coat. Be right back," he said.

"Wait!" Ianto blushed even more, which he didn't think was possible. "Top drawer," he said pointing at his nightstand.

Raising his an eyebrow, Jack opened the drawer. "And just when did you purchase all of this, Mr. Jones?"

Ianto lifted the corner of the pillow he had burrowed under to peek up at Jack. "Today after I went to the market."

Jack grinned and chose a bottle of lubricant from the selection in the drawer. "Cheeky bastard. You knew I'd change my mind?"

Grinning back, Ianto rolled up on his side and reached for Jack. "Let's just say I was hopeful," he said as he pulled Jack to him. Jack pressed him back into the pillows as they delved into each other's mouths in a long, languid kiss.

Jack straightened his arms, putting a little distance between them. His eyes were dark with desire as he spoke in a rough whisper. "Close your eyes. Just feel."

Ianto obeyed, rolling back onto his stomach while he pushed most of the pillows onto the floor. Jack straddled his hips and ran his warm hands over Ianto's back, massaging gently as he worked his way down to Ianto's waist. He rested his hands on Ianto's hips as he leant forward to follow their path with his mouth, kissing and nipping his way across the smooth planes of Ianto's back. 

When Ianto was virtually purring beneath his hands, Jack stretched out next to him and ran his hand over the curves of Ianto's arse. Ianto sighed deeply and then tried to burrow his head back under the pillow.

Jack laughed and pulled him back out. "Never, ever do that! I want to hear you. I want to hear all those beautiful noises you make when I do something like this," he said as he dipped his hand between Ianto's legs to tickle his scrotum making Ianto giggle. "Okay," Jack admitted, "that wasn't a great example. How about this instead?" he asked as he ran his tongue over the small of Ianto's back, down between his buttocks. 

Ianto gasped and arched his back. 

Jack grinned. "Much better," he said.

Ianto felt Jack lay back down beside him. He reached behind him to run his fingers through Jack's hair as Jack kissed the back of his neck. He heard the cap of the lubricant snap open and sighed again. He spread his legs a little more, earning a soft groan from Jack.

"You're so hot when you do that," Jack murmured against his neck. "Someday, I'm going to watch while you open yourself for me." 

Ianto moaned. 

"Mmmmhmmm, I'll watch as you use those clever fingers to stretch yourself, get yourself ready for my cock, but right now I get that pleasure," he said as he rubbed a gentle fingertip against the opening to Ianto's body.

Ianto moaned again and pushed back against Jack's hand. Jack laughed softly, his breath ruffling Ianto's hair. "Easy, we have all night and I want to give you exactly what you want," Jack said as he increased the pressure of his finger ever so slightly. He began to thrust his hips slowly against the side of Ianto's body, mirroring the movement of his finger, pressing and releasing, pressing and releasing. It seemed to Ianto that he did this for hours before he finally breached his body with just the tip of his finger. Ianto cried out softly, earning a kiss from Jack.

"That's it, let me hear you, let me hear how much you love this."

"Jack," Ianto whispered, his eyes shut tight. "More, Jack, please!"

Jack groaned and slid his finger further inside Ianto. He began to thrust smoothly in and out of Ianto's body, gently loosening the tight muscle. He squeezed out a little more lubricant and added a second finger, rotating his hand a little now in a way that set Ianto on fire. He was drowning in sensation. He could feel the heat of Jack's skin along his left side, the softness of his duvet underneath him, the pressure – _the exquisite pressure_ – of Jack inside him. He could hear Jack's breath hitch in response to his moans, could hear the soft scratch of his own fingers as they grabbed at the duvet, could hear his heart beating faster and faster as Jack added another finger and sped up his thrusts.

"God, please, Jack! I need you now," Ianto cried out.

Jack didn't speak, but Ianto heard the cap of the lubricant one more time and felt Jack move to slick up his cock. Ianto slid his right knee up the bed, opening himself even further for Jack, who groaned at the sight. Ianto felt Jack's hands on his hips, felt the brush of Jack's cock as he aligned himself with Ianto's opening. And then Jack was there, inside him again, filling him ever so slowly, just as he had said he would. Ianto held his breath as Jack pushed into him, inch by glorious inch. 

When he was fully sheathed in Ianto's heat, Jack paused. He took a moment to arrange them so Ianto's left leg was pressed alongside his from toe to thigh. Then he slid his arm under Ianto's chest so he could lift him slightly, pressing them together. Through it all, Ianto kept his eyes closed as instructed, loving the feel of Jack holding him, filling him, surrounding him. Finally Jack leant his free arm on the mattress and his forehead against Ianto's shoulder and began to move.

Rocking just his hips, Jack pulled out almost all the way and then slid slowly back into Ianto. He kept them connected, pressed together the whole time, nuzzling Ianto's neck as he thrust inside him. Ianto raised his hips to meet Jack, savoring the feel of Jack moving within him even as he wanted more. He tried to increase the pace but Jack held him to his earlier desires and refused to change the tempo of his thrusts for some time.

"God, you feel so good," Jack murmured into the soft skin behind Ianto's ear. "You're so hot and tight around me... I could stay here forever."

Ianto moaned at Jack's words and reached behind him to clutch at Jack's arse, pulling him even closer. He slid his bent knee forward a little more, allowing him to raise his shoulder and catch Jack's mouth for a passionate kiss. He cried out as Jack took advantage of his new position and snaked a hand between his body and the mattress to wrap around his throbbing cock.

"Jack!" Ianto cried out again, gasping for air as he struggled not to come.

"Soon, soon, can you hold on a little longer?" Jack asked, stilling the hand on Ianto's cock as he kept driving into him from behind.

"Yes... God, soon Jack!" Ianto begged, pressing his forehead to the mattress.

Jack shifted above him slightly and began to thrust into him faster and faster. The new angle allowed him to brush against the tiny bundle of nerves that made Ianto see stars. Ianto rubbed the sweat out of his eyes and met Jack thrust for thrust, pressing back to meet his cock and pressing forward into his hand, clutching Jack's arse for balance. Jack slipped his arm from Ianto's chest down to his waist as he tightened his hand on Ianto's cock, stroking him faster, matching the rhythm of his hips.

Ianto heard the catch in Jack's breathing, a sign that he was close to coming. He clenched his muscles around Jack's cock, the additional pressure affecting him as much as Jack. He cried out, seconds away from orgasm.

"God! Yes, Ianto, now! Come for me," Jack shouted as he sank into Ianto one last time before his own orgasm took him. Ianto spilled over Jack's hand as Jack erupted inside of him. They both shuddered and continued to move against one another as they let the pleasure overwhelm them.

Minutes – _or hours?_ – later, Ianto shifted slightly, making Jack moan. They were tangled on top of the bed, Jack's arms were trapped under Ianto's body, Ianto was trapped under Jack and his left arm had fallen completely asleep from resting behind them on Jack's arse. Ianto was sweaty and squashed and covered in come and absolutely, completely, perfectly content. He heard a deep sigh from Jack, a sound that always meant he was falling asleep. 

Ianto smiled and followed his Captain.


	33. Chapter Thirty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack and Ianto have a quiet day with no interruptions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Thirty-Three
> 
> Rating: R for this chapter 
> 
> Spoilers: Greeks Bearing Gifts (1x7)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on Livejournal; Second Edition (re-edited) posted here.
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

Ianto woke to pale, autumn sunlight filling the room. He was snuggled under the covers and there was no sign of Jack. When this realisation sank in, Ianto sat up in bed and looked around his room. The clothes he had discarded the night before were now lying neatly across his chair. The soiled duvet cover had been stripped off and was stuffed into his laundry basket and there was still so sign of Jack. 

Falling back onto the pillows, Ianto sighed. _Well, this is what I asked for, isn't it? No complications, no demands..._ Ianto sighed again and curled onto his side. As he moved, a piece of paper on the nightstand caught his eye. It was folded in half and had a bold capital I across the front. He grabbed it and opened it eagerly. 

****_Ianto – gone to check on the Hub and pick up breakfast.  
DO NOT get out of bed. Back soon.   
– J_

Ianto grinned. He promptly disobeyed Jack's order and climbed out of bed to use the toilet and brush his teeth. But as soon as he finished, he crawled back between the sheets to wait for his lover. _My lover_ , he thought. He waited for the guilt, for the uncomfortable feelings that always followed that word to hit him, but this time they didn't come. Lover finally sounded right.

Jack returned a few minutes later, banging the door open and then cursing at the noise. Ianto heard him messing about in the kitchen for a moment before his bedroom door opened to reveal just Jack's head peeking in. Ianto waved.

"Oh good, you're awake. Did you see my note?" Jack asked as he stepped fully into the room.

"Yep, thanks, but you didn't have to do that. You can come and go as you please, you don't have to –"

Jack sat down on the bed and reached for Ianto. "You need to stop that, okay?"

"Stop what?" Ianto asked.

"Stop apologising and explaining and all that." Jack's hands tightened on Ianto's shoulders. "We're both here because we want to be, right?" 

Ianto nodded. 

"So if I want to leave you a note, I will leave you a note."

"Okay," Ianto said quietly. 

"C'mere," Jack whispered. He cradled Ianto's face between his hands and kissed him gently. "Good morning."

"Morning," Ianto murmured as he kissed Jack. "Mmm... you taste like coffee," he observed.

"Yeah, not your coffee unfortunately, but I wanted to bring you breakfast."

"You didn't have –" Ianto stopped at Jack's look. "I mean... thanks, Jack." 

"You're welcome." Jack stood. "Since you're up, I'll go grab it. Back in a sec," he said as he walked out of Ianto's bedroom.

Ianto arranged the pillows better for sitting up and turned to see Jack carrying two cups of coffee and a bag from their favorite bakery. "It's not fancy, but some of the rolls are still hot. Did you know they open at the crack of dawn?" Jack asked as he handed Ianto the coffees and started to undress.

"Uh-huh," Ianto said, somewhat distracted by the sight of Jack getting naked. "Um, yeah. I'm often there right after they open. You get a better selection of the pastries."

"I should have known, you know everything," Jack said as he stripped off his trousers and climbed into the bed. He reclined against the pillows, shoulder to shoulder with Ianto, and reached for his coffee and the bag. He opened it up and fished out a flaky pastry covered with almonds for Ianto. "I got this one for you. It's your favorite, right?"

Ianto was touched. He leant his head on Jack's shoulder for a moment. "Yes, it is. Thank you."

Jack chuckled and slid his arm around Ianto's shoulder, pulling him close in a half-hug. They finished all the pastries and their coffee in that position, chatting easily and simply enjoying being close.

After they finished breakfast, Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto and covered him with kisses. They spent the better part of the morning in bed, just taking their time getting to know each other's bodies – the spots that made them moan, the secret ticklish areas, the best places for a soft kiss. The times they had been together in the Hub had been exciting and pleasurable, but Ianto hadn't been able to truly appreciate being with Jack. But now, knowing that Jack really wanted him, knowing no one could walk in on them, knowing that it wasn't just a onetime tryst and finally being free of the sense of betrayal that had haunted him, he was able to enjoy Jack in a whole new way.

Hours later, once they were momentarily sated, Ianto pulled Jack into the shower where they proceeded to get very dirty indeed before getting clean. Jack heartily approved of Ianto's much larger and more luxurious shower. He fiddled with the different settings on the shower head for five full minutes before Ianto dropped to his knees to distract him.

They decided to grab some lunch and then check in at the Hub before coming back to Ianto's flat for a night in. Jack was against Ianto coming with him, he kept insisting that he had the day off and should enjoy it and not go to work, but Ianto just ignored him. After Jack had assured himself that the world was not in danger of ending nor the rift in danger of opening, Ianto was able to persuade him to pick up some Chinese take-away and head home. 

It was a very pleasant night. Jack found an old movie for them to watch as they ate their dinner from the cartons, sharing them back and forth across the sofa. When the movie was over, Ianto took the lead, slowly undressing Jack and putting into practise all the information he had gleaned that morning. After some time, they moved from the sofa to the bed and when they eventually fell asleep that night, Ianto was curled in Jack's arms, knowing he was finally where he belonged.


	34. Chapter Thirty-Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things are calm for a little while and then oh so very not...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter Thirty-Four
> 
> Rating: NC-17 for this chapter 
> 
> Chapter Warnings: Sexual situations and references to violence
> 
> Spoilers: They Keep Killing Suzie (1x8)
> 
> Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Paul Tomalin and Daniel McCulloch for references for references and dialogue borrowed from They Keep Killing Suzie. No infringement, only worship intended! Originally posted on 
> 
> Series Summary: Season One of Torchwood retold from Ianto's point of view with much needed gap-filling.

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

The next few weeks were quiet ones at the Hub. The rift was unusually dormant and even the weevil sightings were few and far between. Owen bemoaned the lack of excitement, loudly and as often as anyone would listen, but everyone else enjoyed the calm.

Jack and Ianto fell into a very satisfactory pattern with each other during the lull. They would often have dinner together after everyone else had left for the night and then they would spend the night at the Hub or at Ianto's flat or each on their own as the mood struck them. Ianto was surprised that Jack, who had been so reluctant to let Ianto leave the week after Brecon Beacons, was so much more at ease after their conversation by the car. It was as if by admitting that they wanted to be together, they gave themselves permission to be apart as well. Jack tried to explain it one night when they were nestled close together in his small bed in the Hub.

"Before, right after you were hurt, I was sure you would be gone the moment I closed my eyes. I wanted to keep you close for as long as I could." Jack kissed Ianto's neck, resting his head on Ianto's shoulder. "But now... I don't know, it's easier to be alone knowing you'll come back."

Ianto rolled to his side, wrapping his arms around Jack. "I'll always come back," he whispered.

"So will I," Jack said in low tones. "Remember that," he said, raising his head for a long, deep kiss.

When the calm finally broke, the threat wasn't alien, but a human one.

Ianto was making the day's second pot of coffee when the team returned from a routine police assistance call.

"Alright everyone, conference room in ten minutes," Jack called as they filed into the Hub. "Ianto!"

"Yes, sir?" Ianto replied.

"Can you come down here? I need something in the archives."

"On my way, sir."

Jack headed down the steps with Ianto not far behind. As soon as he was down the first flight of stairs, Jack grabbed him and pulled him into one of the file rooms and into his arms.

"Jack? What is it?" Ianto asked, holding him tight.

Jack didn't speak for a moment. "It's bad," he finally said in a quiet voice. "People murdered in their home, Torchwood written on the wall in their blood."

"God, Jack! What –" 

"Not what, who. It's a who, a person with Retcon in their system."

"Oh, Jack," Ianto said, understanding now.

"I need –" Jack broke off. "I have to figure out what to do, I just, I can't even think right now. I need..."

Ianto cupped Jack's face in his hands. "Whatever you need. Anything I can do," he said and kissed him.

Jack was passive for a moment, just letting Ianto's mouth move across his. Then he tightened his arms around Ianto and kissed him back, pushing him against the wall of filing cabinets. He held Ianto there with his body as his hands slid down to loosen Ianto's tie and unbutton his shirt. He pulled Ianto's shirt open left his tie hanging down his naked chest.

"God, you look..." Jack didn't finish, he just kissed his way over Ianto's chest until he reached his trousers. His hands were already unfastening Ianto's belt as he fell to his knees. Ianto swallowed his moan, remembering where they were. He clung to the filing cabinet pulls, bracing himself as Jack drew his cock into his mouth. He wasn't hard yet, so Jack was able to fit all of him in his mouth easily and press his face into Ianto's belly, nuzzling the soft hair he found there. Jack groaned with pleasure and worked Ianto's cock with his tongue.

Ianto bit his lip as he felt himself begin to harden inside Jack's mouth. There was something utterly erotic about the moment. Ianto didn't know if it was the sheer intimacy of the act or the fact that he could feel his cock hardening, lengthening, enlarging within the hot confines of Jack's mouth. It wasn't long before Jack could pull back and content himself with running his tongue over and around Ianto's cock, licking it like an ice cream cone. He reached up with one hand to softly caress Ianto's balls while his other hand curled around the base of his cock, stroking in time with the movements of his mouth.

The triple assault of Jack's mouth and both hands had Ianto moaning quietly in moments. He dropped his hands from the cabinet pulls and threaded them into Jack's hair. Jack looked up at the touch, keeping his eyes locked with Ianto as he sucked harder, hollowing his cheeks around Ianto's cock. Ianto tried to maintain the eye contact through his orgasm, but when he came, instinct took over and he closed his eyes and threw back his head, banging it on the cabinet behind him. Jack continued to suck him, milking every drop of come from his cock before letting it slip from his mouth.

Jack stood and kissed Ianto fiercely as he caressed the back of his head. They were both gasping when they finally broke apart. Jack leant his forehead on Ianto's and said, "Thank you, I needed that."

Ianto laughed. "Shouldn't I be thanking you?"

Jack just grinned. "Did you hurt your head?"

"My head?"

"When you banged it," Jack explained, rubbing his hand over the spot.

"Did I?" Ianto smiled and kissed Jack again. "Didn't notice."

"Good," Jack whispered. He glanced at his watch. "Shit, we gotta get upstairs, c'mon."

Ianto raised an eyebrow and gestured at his unkempt state. "Go ahead, I need a minute."

Jack looked at Ianto appraisingly. "What I wouldn't give for a pair of cuffs right now," he said as Ianto began to tidy himself up.

"What?!" Ianto asked.

"Yeah," Jack mused. "Cuff you to the cabinet, half-naked and waiting for me. Have to remember that one." Jack gave him a bright smile. "Some other time. See you upstairs."

Ianto watched Jack leave the room with a look of disbelief on his face. _Surely he was kidding_ , Ianto thought. _Right?_ Deciding that he really didn't want to know the answer, Ianto finished putting himself back together and hurried to the conference room. When he arrived, Gwen was fretting about having been dosed with Retcon in the past.

Jack gave Ianto a warm glance and then looked at Tosh who was seated next to him. "Then better stay away from sharp objects."

Ianto chuckled as he sat down at the table.

"Ianto, how many people have we given amnesia pills to?" Jack asked.

Ianto called his last report to mind and answered with typical preciseness. "Two thousand and eight."

Owen grinned. "Hey! What if they all become psychotic?!"

"Do you have to sound so happy?" Tosh asked with a disgusted look on her face.

"I'm just saying, Mean Streets!" Owen replied.

There was a slight pause and then Jack jumped in with the assignments. "Tosh, narrow the list down to fit Swanson's profile, start checking them out as fast as you can. You two," he continued, looking at Gwen and Owen. "There's got to be a link between the victims. Find the link, find the killer. Get to it."

Ianto followed Tosh out, intending to give her hand, but he stopped short when he heard Gwen begin to argue with Jack. When she mentioned the resurrection gauntlet, Ianto's blood ran cold. _That is a really bad idea_ , he thought, remembering Suzie's obsession with the damn thing. He had watched her one afternoon, working with it, oblivious to everyone else in the Hub, focusing all her being on forcing it to work. It had chilled him to the bone and that was **before** her killing spree. 

He was about to join the argument when Gwen said the one thing he knew would hurt Jack the most. "These murders are happening because of Torchwood. So Torchwood has got to do something."

Ianto sighed. The gauntlet would be coming out of the safe.


End file.
